District Attorney Sandra Doorley released a statement Thursday regarding a speeding ticket she received Monday in her hometown of Webster and a call she made to the Webster police chief while the officer was behind her. This statement sparked a lot of discussion on social media. Here’s what we can tell you based on what we know.
Watch video: Prosecutor Sandra Doorley defies police orders during traffic stop
How did it start?
On Wednesday, stories began circulating about Doorley’s speeding ticket, his call to the police chief and his interaction with the Webster officer. The Democrat and Chronicle first heard about the incident that evening, without giving specific details of the entire incident or being assured what was true.
On Thursday morning, the Democrat and Chronicle contacted the district attorney’s office, which confirmed the ticket and arranged an afternoon call with Doorley. The office released Doorley’s statement later in the day.
What was the ticket for?
Doorley was driving 55 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. She has already pleaded guilty, admitting to the offence.
Why this interest and this declaration?
Doorley did not immediately stop with the officer behind her. During the interview, she said she first thought maybe he was going to pull over someone else, then she realized he was speeding.
Instead of stopping immediately, Doorley said, she turned onto her home street in Webster because there was less traffic there and then parked in her driveway. She admitted to calling Webster Police Chief Dennis Kohlmeier from her car with the officer behind her.
Unsurprisingly, this was the spark for discussions on social media, with many pointing out that few people would be able to phone a police chief in the middle of or during an interaction with police. Doorley said she wanted the chief to alert the officer who she was so he knew there was no possible danger to him after the stop since she did not stop immediately.
“Less than a half-mile from my neighborhood, I noticed a Webster police car behind me,” she said in the release. “Once I realized the car’s intent was to stop me, I called the Webster Police Chief to inform him that I did not pose a threat and that I would speak to the officer at my house down the street.”
What about the interaction with the officer?
It’s unclear if the officer knew who Doorley was, but it doesn’t matter. The Democrat and Chronicle contacted Webster police.
In his statement, Doorley said, “The next day at 1 p.m. (after the ticket was issued), I pleaded guilty and sent the ticket to Webster Municipal Court because I believe in accepting responsibility for my actions and that I had no intention of using my position. to receive a benefit, no one, including your district attorney, is above the rule of law, even the traffic laws.
However, Doorley acknowledged there was friction in his interaction with the officer in his driveway. This may have been because Doorley had the chief on the phone at the same time she received a ticket. Again, it’s unclear if the officer was aware of this when he pulled into Doorley’s driveway.
If there is a body-worn camera in the interaction, “the camera will show that I’m agitated,” she said. She said there were misunderstandings between her and the officer as to why she did not stop immediately.
Any video would also show that at the end of their interaction, the officer thanked her for her work on behalf of law enforcement, Doorley said. Doorley generally enjoys the support of law enforcement unions and successfully prosecuted two men who murdered Rochester police officers.
Is this the end of this incident?
Who knows? If the video is released, it could generate more interest. But as far as the speeding ticket is concerned, that is clearly resolved.
— Gary Craig is a veteran reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, covering courts, crime and more. He is the author of two books, including “Seven Million: A Cop, a Priest, a Soldier for the IRA and the Still-Unsolved Rochester Brink’s Heist.”“.
