Self-described drunken driver live-streams video while behind wheel and is charged with DUI
Whitney Beall. Image from the Lakeland Police Department Twitter feed.
A 23-year-old Florida woman was charged with driving under the influence over the weekend after she allegedly live-streamed her self-described drunk-driving incident on Periscope.
Police in Lakeland were initially unfamiliar with the social media mobile app and didn’t have access to it on their department-issued equipment. But one of the younger officers responding to 911 calls about the live video downloaded the app and opened a personal account, which allowed officers to locate Whitney Beall with the help of landmarks they recognized on the ongoing video, according to WFLA and WTSP.
As described on Periscope, Beall was driving a late-model Toyota on one flat tire. When officers spotted her and pulled her over, they said her car struck the curb with the opposing front tire.
On the video, “You hear her saying she’s drunk,” said Sgt. Gary Gross of the Lakeland police. Beall also reportedly wonders aloud whether she will get home without being ticketed.
She was charged with driving under the influence after failing field sobriety tests and refusing a breath test, according to police.
On Monday, she said she had learned her lesson, WFLA reports.
However, attorney Lee Cohen, who is now representing Beall, told the station he is still investigating.
“She is a young professional with a bright future. When her court date is set, I will be entering a plea on her behalf of not guilty,” Cohen said. “I am not doing any interviews at this time, nor is my client or her mother. I’ll be investigating the case and that starts now. I am waiting to see all the evidence, and I will take a look at it. I am also waiting for discovery from the state attorney’s office.”
The Lakeland police department is considering adding the Periscope app to its equipment.
“It’s probably technology like anything else we’ll look at and probably have selected individuals within the police department will be trained to be able to use it,” Gross told WTSP.
Hat tip: Las Vegas Review-Journal.
