Cop’s Sister Arrested for DWI at Over DOUBLE the Legal Limit (0.209%)

Around 3:55 PM on August 16, 2023, Patrolman Troy Hartsgrove with the Highlands Police Department was working an off-duty assignment in the vicinity of Bay Avenue and Jackson Street. Patrolman Antonio Flores was off-duty but he radioed into dispatch that he saw a black pickup truck driving erratically on Highway 36 southbound. Patrolman Hartsgrove located a vehicle matching this description on Bay Avenue as the driver was turning onto Kay Street. The driver subsequently made a wide left turn onto Center Street. Patrolman Hartsgrove initiated a traffic stop in the area of Center Street and Jackson Street and made contact with the driver, who was identified as Jamie.

As he was speaking with Jamie, Patrolman Hartsgrove detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Patrolman Flores and SLEO II Michael Richards arrived on scene to assist shortly afterwards. Jamie told Patrolman Hartsgrove that she was headed home, and admitted to consuming alcohol before driving. She also told him that her brother was a cop. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Patrolman Hartsgrove asked Jamie to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises.

The first exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and Patrolman Hartsgrove observed the lack of smooth pursuit in both eyes. However, he ended the HGN test early because Jamie failed to follow his instructions. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Jamie failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step and turned improperly. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Jamie failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down multiple times.

Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol before driving, and her inability to adequately complete the field sobriety exercises, Patrolman Hartsgrove placed Jamie under arrest for driving under the influence. Her vehicle was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. She was transported to the Highlands Police Department for further processing.

At the Highlands Police Department, Jamie was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and agreed to submit breath samples for testing. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.209%, which was more than double the legal limit of 0.08%. After the officers were finished with their paperwork, Jamie eventually released to a sober adult after they signed the Potential Liability Warning Form on Jamie’s behalf. She was issued the following summonses: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, and failure to maintain lane

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