Editor's Note: The day after this story first aired, the Jefferson County Sheriff's identified the deputy involved as Tyler Stahl. Stahl's comments to the press follow this story.
In a video seen by thousands, a young woman claims she was able to flirt her way out of a DUI. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office says the video is bogus, and now, the 18-year-old is coming clean.
In the video circulated on Twitter and Reddit over the weekend, the young woman brags about skirting the system.
Here is the original video that gained traction on various social media channels pic.twitter.com/a38k8paYqW
— CB Cotton (@CB_Cotton) April 4, 2022
"I got out of a DUI and got let off with a warning," the teen said to the camera. "Ladies I literally just said [to the deputy], 'I got out a really bad relationship and it was really toxic and he dumped me.'"
In the video, the young woman flashed the deputy's card and said she blew a 3.8 on a breathalyzer. She also claimed she was going on a date with the deputy.
On Monday, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said one of their own was indeed involved a traffic stop with the young woman, but the agency said everything else was untrue.
"We felt it necessary to provide our body-worn camera video to dispute the allegations that the woman was making," said Jenny Fulton, director of public affairs for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
"The deputy’s body worn camera video captures his entire contact with her, including the reason he stopped her. When he asked if she had been drinking, she said “no,"" Fulton said in a press release. "She also did not slur her speech, nor did the deputy smell alcohol on her or witness any other physical signs of intoxication. There was no evidence of alcohol in the vehicle. Therefore, he did not conduct any tests for DUI, including administering a breathalyzer."
Link to body camera footage: https://t.co/MKOorflWCp
— CB Cotton (@CB_Cotton) April 4, 2022
"3.8 [blood alcohol content] is lethal, quite frankly. So even if she meant .38 that's also extreme," Fulton told Denver7 in an interview. "We just had to look at all the factors in her video."
During the traffic stop, the 18-year-old also told the deputy she didn't have the car's insurance — an offense the deputy didn't ticket for. Fulton said the deputy was using his discretion and likely had compassion for story the young woman shared. She said the sheriff's office feels frustrated about the circumstances.
The young woman didn't want to show her face during an interview with Denver7, but admitted to drinking in the hours before she recorded the video.
"I'm not gonna lie to the news... I've already lied enough, but I was intoxicated," she said. "I was drinking. I was drinking from, like, 11 p.m. to, like, two or three in the morning that day."
She also apologized for the lives she put at-risk and the lies she told.
"I thought I was being funny. I was like, 'Oh my God, look at me. I just got out. I'm surprised I didn't get arrested!' but I'm so deeply sorry," the 18-year-old said. "That's not who I am as a person. If I could go back in time and take it all back, I would. I have never felt so bad."
On Tuesday, Deputy Tyler Stahl, who was involved in the traffic stop, spoke to members of the press.
"I had no indications based on my training that she was impaired," said Stahl. "Social media is a strong influence on kids these days. I don't appreciate that she did what she did. I mean, like I said, body cameras are a great tool. Thank God the sheriff's office looks out for the deputies and we all have [body cameras] because other than that, then it could have been much worse. She wasn't thinking about the ramifications on anybody else when she chose to behave that way."
