(The Center Square) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has asked a state commission to investigate an upstate prosecutor who was caught on video berating a local cop who stopped her for speeding.
Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley refused to stop when the police officer tried to pull her over last Monday after allegedly clocking her doing 55 mph in a 35-mph zone. Police body-cam video released over the weekend showed Doorley arguing with the officer, and even calling his chief to complain about the about the “a–hole officer” who had tried to pull her over for speeding.
“I’m the DA … I’m the DA of Monroe County,” the bodycam footage shows her telling the officer inside her garage. “Do you think I really care if I was going 20 miles over the speed limit?”
Following news coverage showing the body cam footage, Hochul announced on Sunday that she is referring the incident to the New York Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct, which considers complaints against district attorneys.
In a statement, Hochul said the police body cam footage shows Doorley “attempting to use her public office to evade responsibility, and acting unprofessionally towards a police officer simply trying to do his job.”
“In doing so, she was acting in contravention of her responsibility as a district attorney, and undermined her ability to hold others accountable for violating the law,” Hochul’s statement said.
Doorley released a statement on Thursday acknowledging that she was speeding, accepting responsibility for her actions, and saying she “had no intention of using my position to receive a benefit.”
“Nobody, including your District Attorney, is above the rule of law, even traffic laws,” she said in the statement. “Anybody who knows me understands without a doubt that I have dedicated my entire 33 year career to the safety of this community. My work to ensure the safety and respect of law enforcement is well proven time and time again.”
In a separate video apology, Doorley blamed her caught-on-camera outburst on work and family-related stress and said she didn’t treat the police officer “with respect that he deserved.”
“But we all have bad days and stress and it was wrong for me to take it out on an officer who was just doing his job,” she said. “While I previously apologized to him, I will say it again, I’m sorry. Police already have a tough job and that day, I made this officer’s job harder.”