A district attorney from upstate New York said she would not resign after police bodycam footage caught her berating an officer who’d tried to pull her over for speeding in her hometown.
Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley has been under fire since police footage released last week showed the top county prosecutor tearing into a Webster police officer in her driveway after she refused to stop after going 55 mph in a 35 mph zone, even calling him a “f–king a–hole” at one point.
She has since apologized for her behavior, claiming she was stressed from work, but has given no indication of stepping down, telling local outlet NBC 10 that she has never considered resigning since the now-viral incident.
“I was elected to serve this community, and I will continue to serve this community,” she said.
“I have no excuse for what I did, if I could go back I would do it totally different,” she said.
“I’m agreeing to self-report to the grievance committee. I welcome any investigation. I will cooperate and will handle whatever punishment is handed down to me because I am truly, truly sorry.”
All nine members of the Rochester City Council signed a letter to New York Attorney General Letitia James questioning Doorley’s “fitness to serve as District Attorney” and asking her to investigate the situation.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has also referred Doorley to the state Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct, saying in a statement the video showed the DA “claiming she is above the law, attempting to use her public office to evade responsibility, and acting unprofessionally towards a police officer simply trying to do his job.”
Doorley, the governor said, had “undermined her ability to hold others accountable.”
The DA was caught speeding less than half a mile from her neighborhood. But instead of pulling over when a cop began flashing his lights behind her, she drove home and called Webster Police Chief Dennis Kohlmeier to complain about the “a–hole officer” pursuing her, the bodycam footage shows.
She pleaded guilty to speeding in municipal court the next day.
“If I could go back in time I would certainly stop and handle it differently, but I didn’t. I was a jerk,” she told NBC 10.
“I absolutely regret everything I said. I really have no words for my behavior. I could tell you I had a bad day, that I had things on my mind, but that’s no excuse,” she continued.
“Police officers deserve to be treated with respect and I’ve been a huge advocate for that in our community, and I failed immensely.”
After declining to comment for nearly a week, Kohlmeier said he supports the way his officers handled the uncomfortable situation.
“I am extremely proud of our police department for handling a dynamic event with such professionalism,” he said in a statement Thursday.
“Our body-worn camera policy is designed to provide transparency; in this situation, it confirms the integrity and character of our officers. I also want to publicly thank Officer Crisafulli for his dedication to his duty and the safety of our community.”
