A tearful New Mexico state lawmaker tried to charm police into waiving her drunk driving offense by telling the arresting officer that she had always stood up for them when people claimed they were racist.
State Rep. Monica Youngblood was arrested early Sunday morning after being stopped by police at a DWI checkpoint in Albuquerque.
Police said the 41-year-old had bloodshot eyes, smelled of alcohol and that she failed to perform well on four different field sobriety tests.
Nearly 40 minutes of police bodycam footage shows Youngblood being questioned by officers at the checkpoint and later when she was handcuffed and taken for processing.
oungblood, who refused to take a breath test, insisted that she hadn't had a drink and was instead upset over a fight with her boyfriend.
She tearfully begged the officers not to arrest her before repeatedly telling them that she's a legislator who fights for police.
'I literally fight for you guys... I fight for you guys every time I get the chance,' Youngblood can be heard saying from the back of the squad car.
The officer responds: 'That doesn't make it okay for you to drink and drive.'
The Republican lawmaker also told the officer that she had sponsored legislation that would reinstate the death penalty for cop ki1lers.
'So many people tell me that you guys treat people of color like s**t, and I always stood up for you,' Youngblood can be heard saying.
Youngblood has also sponsored legislation that would give harsher penalties for repeat drunk drivers, as well as a bill that would not allow those arrested for a DWI to be released on their own recognizance.
She was booked on one count of aggravated DWI for declining a breath test.
Prior to her arrest, the bodycam footage shows the officer asking Youngblood to get out of her car so she could perform a series of sobriety tests.
She was asked to count backwards, recite the alphabet, walk in a straight line and stand on one leg.
Throughout the ordeal, Youngblood repeatedly complained that she was cold despite the officer commenting that the temperature was in the high 60s.
After completing the tests, Youngblood appeared shocked when the officer said he was placing her under arrest.
'I did everything that you asked me to do officer, please... Officer are you kidding me?' she said.
At one point during her arrest, Youngblood appeared to suggest she was being mistreated because the officer wouldn't remove the handcuffs so she could wipe her face of tears.
Youngblood was released that same day after her arrest and is scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on June 13.
She later said in a statement to KOB-TV that she regretted not taking a breath test.
Youngblood, who has deleted her Twitter account, is now facing calls from other politicians to resign.
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