The upstate New York district attorney under fire for berating an “a–hole” cop who pulled her over for speeding apologized Monday — and blamed her caught-on-camera outburst on work stress.
Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley has been taking heat ever since police bodycam footage emerged last week of her bratty encounter with the Webster, New York, officer after she was busted speeding near her home.
“I’d just come from work,” Doorley said in her videotaped apology released Monday morning.
“I was dealing with three homicides that occurred on the weekend, I watched a video where an innocent cab driver was executed and I was still reeling from a frightening medical concern that my husband received that afternoon.”
“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 continued. “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.”
The upstate prosecutor had refused to stop when the cop tried to pull her over last Monday after allegedly clocking her doing 55 mph in a 35-mph zone.
Instead, she drove home and called Webster Police Chief Dennis Kohlmeier to complain about the “a–hole officer” pursuing her, the bodycam footage shows.
Despite the DA’s tantrum, she was still slapped with a traffic ticket and pleaded guilty to the violation last Thursday.
After the footage of Doorley’s encounter with the cop started going viral, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday referred the DA to a state commission tasked with investigating prosecutors’ conduct amid widespread calls for her to resign.
“What I did was wrong, no excuses. I take full responsibility for my actions,” Doorley said Monday.
“I fell short of the values I’ve held for my entire 33-year career. I didn’t treat this officer with respect that he deserved. All police officers deserve respect.”
In addition to pleading guilty and paying the fine, Doorley said she was referring the case to a different district attorney’s office for a full review.
“If one of my assistant district attorneys had acted this way, I would’ve disciplined them. So I’m disciplining myself. I will take ethics training to remind myself that professionalism matters,” she said. “I’ve been humbled by my own stupidity and I am fully to blame. I will make this right.”
In addition to pleading guilty and paying the fine, Doorley said she was referring the case to a different district attorney’s office for a full review.
“I believe in accepting responsibility for my actions and 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,” Doorley added.
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