Dallas Police Chief Defends 'Falsely Vilified' Officers, Releases Video Of Angela West's Arrest For DWI
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia shared dash cam video Monday, August 23, of an incident last Friday when Angela West, the wife of Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen West, was pulled over and arrested for DWI.
The candidate has accused DPD of making a false arrest on Friday night, August 20, insisting his wife was not impaired.
"When we are wrong, we are wrong and we will hold ourselves accountable, but no police chief can sit idly by while his officers get falsely vilified. False representation of my officers cannot go unchecked," said Chief Garcia. "They work too hard and sacrifice too much."
Chief Garcia explained the officer observed Angela West's white Mercedes SUV traveling between the shoulder and the right lane, while getting further onto the shoulder.
When she got out of the vehicle officers had her perform a feel sobriety test which included shining light in her eyes looking for signs of impairment as well as conducting several physical agility movements.
At times, West, 61, insisted she had done nothing wrong except make a traffic mistake and asked or a citation to leave with her 2-year-old grandson who is in the backseat.
She agreed to take a breathalyzer test but Dallas Police said the results were inconclusive because Mrs. West did not blow properly.
A blood test was later taken but the results won't be available for several more days.
Her husband - the former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas - stated in a Twitter video that his wife had not been drinking alcohol Friday night and that her breathalyzer test "came up negative."
"The thing that upsets me the most is that they [Dallas police] took my wife, arrested her, brought her to jail and left my grandson with two Dallas police officers. Luckily, they were able to get in contact with our youngest daughter, Austin, who was able to go and pick up Jackson [West's grandson] from two police officers on the side of the road... I support the thin blue line but this is insidious."
Chief Garcia said of the officer who handled the arrest, "She could have taken the child to CPS and chose not to. She could've towed the vehicle and she chose not to. I saw a professional officer. I saw a courteous officer. Regardless of what the lab results show, I believe that she believe that there was probable cause to think that something was impacting her driving."
WATCH THE FULL DPD VIDEO HERE:
