Please like, subscribe, and consider supporting our channel, The Full Raw, uncensored, no narrations, no captions, and an edited version of this body cam footage can be found in the description below. Please consider joining our Patreon. Subscriptions and donations will be used to acquire more public footage related to law enforcement activities. It really helps us do original full-length reporting like this. Sharing this video serves a compelling public interest because it is intended to illustrate the consequences of shoplifting, trespassing, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and being under the influence and discourage others doing so. Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. Thank you all for the support. Hi, how are you? Good. I'm Patrolman Writington with the Rumson Police Department. I just got to let you know my body camera's activated, okay? Can I see your license, registration, proof of insurance, please? Where you come from tonight? Your boyfriend's okay? All right, you were just trying to get home or something? Yeah, I live in Sea Bright. Okay. All right. While you grab those, the reason I'm stopping you was my Around 11:00 p.m. on April 26th, 2024, officers with the Rumson Police Department were advised that a reckless driver was on Ridge Road headed towards Holy Cross Church. Patrolman James Writington observed a 2012 Lexus turning onto Ward Avenue from Harcharan Lane. After he observed the vehicle pass him from the Holy Cross parking lot, he began following the vehicle on Ward Avenue and observed that the driver did not properly signal at the stop sign near the intersection of Ward Avenue and Rumson Road. The driver stopped in the middle of Ward Avenue splitting the north and south lanes before turning left onto Rumson Road eastbound. As the vehicle approached the Sea Bright Bridge, he observed the driver swerving across the double yellow line. Hi Andrew, you you didn't signal 100 ft prior to making your turn onto Rumson Road. You were in the middle of the road. You weren't maintaining your lane at all. Okay? And your license plate bracket covers the Garden State, which is an another obstruction, okay? Can you just grab those documents for me, please? Thank you. Having any luck? So, I just switched cars. >> Okay. Think it might be in the other one? All right. Um at your boyfriend's, did you have anything to drink tonight? No. No? Not at all? Just give me a second. Mhm? It's my dad's. Okay. Um if you have the registration for this car, I need the registration for this car as cuz you're operating this and then the insurance for it, okay? You mind just turn the car off for me, though? Thank you. I appreciate it. Keep looking for that. I'll be right back with you, okay? All right, so initially I had thought I had some slight odor. Um definitely operation is all there. Very slow with the movements, very slow with her talking. Um She's trying to find those two documents. I'm just trying to figure out where we're going to run these tests. Okay. Right here, on this on the rocks. Okay. Slight odor. All right, yeah. Just put the cases right here on the Yeah. All right. Put your hands behind Mhm? Just give me a second. I want to call this out. Yeah. I'll talk to you in a minute. Yeah, just try and Melissa, dude, listen to this. When I she was driving real slow down Ward, when she came up to the stop sign, she didn't signal whatsoever until I was like right behind her, stopped way after the stop line. You saw her, she was in the Yeah. She was in the middle of the road. She right PD said her one over. Then she had and then she had the one she was when she turned on the wrong side, she was in the middle of the road. Four at quarters, 10-11. Got it. At this time, he activated his emergency lights and initiated a traffic stop just uh just prior to the bridge. He made contact with the driver who was identified as Melissa. As he was speaking with Melissa, he detected the odor of alcohol. Melissa told the officer that she was heading home. She denied consuming alcohol earlier that evening. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Melissa was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises. Hi, how are you? Good. This Whose car is this? My dad's. Your dad's? Okay. Where you headed to right now? Right home. Where? Right home. Okay. Where do you live? Okay. Uh where you coming from tonight again? Okay. Where were you guys at tonight? At one Allen Place. Where Where were you guys You guys were at his house all night or did you go anywhere? You didn't go out to dinner or nothing? Uh you have anything to drink tonight? Nothing at all? You on any kind of medication or anything like that? No? You don't use any drugs recreationally or anything like that? No? Okay. Uh you can have this back, okay? All right, Melissa. So, we'll be honest with you, all right? We got some complaints about your driving, okay? That's one of the reasons for us stopping you and investigating you out here tonight, okay? Um your speech is a little bit slow with me, okay? Um your movements are a little bit slow, and your your operation of your vehicle was a little concerning, okay? >> All right, it's a different Okay, would you be okay with stepping out of the vehicle and just talking to us out here so we can just make sure you're okay to drive? Okay, well, at this point it's it's a lawful order, okay? So, I'm telling I'm telling you you need to step out of your vehicle and come talk to us over here out of traffic, okay? Thank you. If you could just step over there, we just want to run you through some tests and make sure that you're good to drive, okay? You okay? You all right? I don't want to see you fall. All right, just come over here into the rocks, okay? I don't want to see you get hit by a car, all right? Of course, I've got to ask you this a silly question, okay? You speak the English alphabet? You know the English? Okay. Just real quick for me, without singing it, would you be able to recite the English alphabet for me starting with A and ending with Z? >> A B C D H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Okay. Okay. Um do you have any injuries to your lower back, your legs, or anything like that? Okay, does that affect your balance at all? Uh every once in a while, but it shouldn't. Okay. Can you want to just Can you step in front of my vehicle just so that we're not on like an uneven uh surface right here? We're just going to test your balance, okay? Um if you think if you think it would be easier without your shoes on, just being that they're heels, you could you you could certainly take your shoes off. If not, you could leave them on. Okay? It's up to you. Do you mind just stepping off the car and not leaning on that at all? Um You want to go talk to him or not? Want to? Yeah, I would want her over there. Just give me some assistance back here for you guys in case something happens. Okay. You can go back over there. Just step back over here. I If someone hits that car, you're going to get hit. So, I don't I just want to get you off the road, okay? All right, place her right here to the passenger side. Okay, let's go. Uh what? I need some assistance on that. It came in as a uh reckless driving complaint. Now You want to have her do this on a roadway so if anything [ __ ] engine locks Damn it, I don't want to I don't want to see her back there getting hit either. Have her get [ __ ] hit. Uh what do you think's better? Yeah, cuz if you take it to court, they're going to give you [ __ ] on it. >> No, [ __ ] it. Yeah, you're right. If you could just step stand right here. Okay, I'm going to explain it to you some instructions, okay? Okay, for this test starting position you have your feet together completely >> lift my leg. Okay, I understand that we got to make sure you're good to drive, okay? So, I'm just going to give you >> lift like That's fine, okay? I just got to do my job, okay? I'm sorry. I'm going to I'm going to explain this these instructions to you, okay? You're going to put your feet together. Your legs completely straight and your arms completely straight at your side. She can't stand straight on her feet. Perfect. All right. All right, Melissa. Follow me, okay? Not right now, okay? You're good to go. All right, Melissa. Like I was saying for this test this test is called the one leg stand, okay? You're going to start The starting position is going to be your >> Also, freezing. Okay, that's okay. Like I said, I just got to run you through these tests, okay? Make sure you're good to go. Are you going to take into account that I'm freezing? Yes. Okay, I I I understand that. I just got to do my job, okay? Mhm. You're going to start with your your feet completely uh your legs completely straight, your feet together, okay? And your arms completely straight down at your side, okay? Stay in that position until I complete the instructions, okay? You're going to take either leg of your choosing, you're going to lift it approximately 6 in off the ground, okay? You're going to keep your legs completely straight, your arms completely straight. You make eye contact with the tip of your toe. Most people can't do this. And most people can't do that, but I'll try. >> Okay. You're going to You're going to keep eye contact with the tip of your toe. And you're going to count out loud, 1 1,000, 2 1,000, 3 1,000, so on and so forth, okay? >> Until I tell you to stop, okay? Do you understand the directions? Okay, you can begin. First of all, it's freezing. Okay. Listen, do you want to try it again? I understand. Listen, if if it's going to help you It's not really going to change much. No? I'm freezing. Okay. You see the poles? They're going to affect your balance, okay? Turn about heels. Okay. Like I Like I said, feet together. Arms completely straight, legs completely straight. Either leg of your choosing, 6 in off the ground, making eye eye contact with the tip of your toe, you're going to count out loud, 1 1,000, 2 1,000, 3 1,000, keeping those legs straight and your arms tucked to your side, okay? Until I tell you to stop, okay? Do you understand? Okay, you can begin. Okay. Is Is it you You can continue. I don't appreciate you now. It It's up to you. It's going to help you maintain balance. I'm fine. Okay, you're good to go. Okay. Okay, you're good. All right. This next test we're going to do is called the walk and turn test, okay? Similar to that last starting position, you're going to start with your legs completely straight, your arms completely straight. You're going to have your left foot in front of your right, okay? You're going to stay in that position until I tell you to begin the test, okay? I'm going to give you some instructions. For this test, you're going to take nine heel-to-toe steps forward, and then nine heel-to-toe steps back. I'm going to demonstrate before you begin, okay? But, for demonstration purposes, I'm going to give you I'm going to take three steps, okay? Starting with your left foot in front of your right, heel-to-toe, keeping your arms tucked to your side. You're going to count out loud. 1 2 3 in a straight line. Patrolman James Camilleri arrived on scene to assist, and Patrolman Tim Manning with the Sea Bright Police Department was also called to the scene to administer the horizontal gaze nystagmus HGN test. The first field sobriety was the recitation of the alphabet, which Melissa was unable to do satisfactorily. The second exercise was the one-leg stand test. During the one-leg stand test, Melissa failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete. The third exercise was the walk and turn test. During the walk and turn test, Melissa either did not touch heel-to-toe on each step and turned improperly. The final exercise was the HGN test, and Patrolman Manning observed indicators of impairment. After the field sobriety exercises were complete, Melissa admitted to consuming one drink earlier that evening. You're going to leave one foot planted on the ground. You're going to take small steps to turn around. You're going to take one, two, three, all the way up to nine steps backwards counting out loud, okay? You're going to walk a straight line. Do you understand? Okay. You can begin. Okay, thank you. Now, we just have one last test for you, okay? This officer is going to conduct that test. Hi, ma'am. I'm Patrolman Davis with the Sugar Land Police Department. What's your name? Mel. Mel? Nice to meet you, Mel. Anything wrong with your eyes? No. No, very good. So, what I'm going to have you do, I'm going to have you stand right in front of me. We're going to look face to face, okay? I want you to put your feet together. Hands at your side, all right? So, for this portion of the test, what I'm going to have you do, I'm going to take this pen. You're going to stare directly to this pen, okay? Mhm. I want you to move only your eyes. Your eyes only follow the tip of the pen. Only your eyes and your eyes only, okay? Do you understand these instructions? Very good, ma'am. Don't look up to the light. Look at the pen. Sorry. Do you see the tip of the pen? Mhm. It's okay. We're almost done, okay? Keep your eyes on me. Keep your eyes on that dancer. Just your eyes. Okay, just your eyes, all right? I know. I'm freezing. This is hard. I know, you're almost done. We're almost done. All right, now listen, just keep that state test. That's going to go off, okay? It's loud. Just keep your eyes your eyes only, please. All right, thank you very much, ma'am. Can I put my shoes You can put your shoes back on, okay? Can I go on the car? Not yet. I know it's cold out. I actually ran to the car with my shoes off. Okay. Well, you can't go on the car yet, okay? Thank you. Can I go on the car? All right, ma'am, listen. Once again, you didn't have anything at all to drink tonight. You didn't do too well on these tests, okay? All right, I'm just being honest with >> freezing. I'm sorry. >> Okay, that's fine. All right, at this time, do you mind just putting your your shoes down for me, please? Put your shoes back on. Yeah. Just put >> really sit down with them on. Okay. I don't want to sit on the ground cuz my back is not like that. Okay, that's fine. You can We can walk over once these cars pass. We'll walk back over by the vehicle, okay? All right, you can follow this officer. All right. You have to see your car with your shoes on, okay? Do not start your engine. Tac, can you run the box? Yes. Okay. Okay, Melissa, you mind just as you're getting your key, hopping back out again come to the back of your car? All right. Melissa, listen. Oh, you have to take it off, okay? So, listen. I'm going to give you one opportunity to be honest with us, okay? Did you have anything to drink tonight? No, I really didn't. Did you take anything? No. Okay, because you failed every test including the alphabet, okay? I'm going to give you an opportunity to tell me what's going on. Okay, what's going on tonight? So, I've had like one drink, but I'm really Also, like I'm also on the Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Patrolman Ridington placed Melissa under arrest for driving under the influence. Her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John's Law. Patrolman Ridington transported Melissa to the Rumson Police Department for further processing. You think it was a good idea to drive tonight? I mean, like I probably could have not. Okay. All right, so listen. At this point, this officer is placing you under arrest for DWI, okay? Driving while intoxicated. >> have an I don't I'm not intoxicated. >> Okay. Can I just put your your arms behind your back, okay? At this point, you're under arrest for driving while intoxicated, okay? Like I said, you did fail every field sobriety test, okay? So, that's why. HEY, NOW YOU JUST NEED TO PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. YEP, YOU'LL GET one in a little bit. Okay, just take your hands. Please separate your hands. Yep, you can call him in a little bit. Just separate your hands, okay? Those tight enough? You need baby cuffs again? It's going to be towed. Headquarters, can you send a 17 to my vehicle? No, it has to be towed. He can't take it. You can call him when you we're done processing you, okay? You don't You're just going You're going to be released on with with some traffic tickets at the end of the night, okay? You can follow me over to this car, okay? Yes. Hey, just have a seat there, okay? All right, if you could just look straight that way, okay? I'm going to buckle you in. You can't. It has to be towed. There's no questions to ask. It has to be towed. Okay? Uh someone will have to come pick you up. Okay, well if that's not the person you want to pick you up Okay, but we'll we'll figure that out when we get back to the station, okay? I'm 4 1/4 and I have one female 41 at this time. Yep. Yeah. She came up to the stop sign here. She when she stopped at the stop sign she was in the middle of the road. And then she was past the stop line. She pulled out onto Robson Road. Another car was like right behind her. And I could just see her down driving down the center of the the road. So that's why we lit her up here. I wasn't I didn't I wanted to light her up over in front of Tommy's. And we just we couldn't let her drive any further. She was driving down the middle of the road. Plus like can you just tell me where your your key is for the car? If you give me my purse I'll give you that. Okay, it's it's in your purse? Okay. All right, I'll be right back. We'll talk. Yeah, that's going to that's going to come with you. Okay. Like I like I told you we'll we'll cross that bridge in a second, okay? Okay. All right, I'll be right back with you, all right? Purse. Um Yeah, she begging for that phone call, but I told her well I told her that can wait. Um Yep. Yeah, she does. Purse, phone. Yeah, why not? Oh, yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. 4 at course. Good. Who did you contact for that tow? This is standby. The client so far Very safe. Once you get a hold of someone just let them know to come to headquarters to pick up their keys. I'll be transporting one female 41 10-3 10-11 started. You you can't. I told you. It's by law we can't let you drive the anyone drive this car away tonight. No. Headquarters 10-11 starting miles transporting one female 41 10-3. Good. 47796 47796 >> What was that? Cuz we're Rumson Police Department. So, we're going to the Rumson Police Department. I just needed to turn around. >> 41 St. Anthony 41 received 10-10-10 20-20-25 All right, what are you doing? 4779 4779 47798 Okay, you're going to have to put those back. Okay, so turn around put your hands behind your back, please. Yeah, I know. I'll take your watch here. Just the bell of the car. I'm not trying to get out. It's okay. We we get we get it, yeah. Yeah, it's more questions. Okay. Um we're only concerned with Uh we got to we got to determine who the the towing company is that's going to come pick up the car. Once we figure that out, we'll let you know. That'll That'll be on the paperwork you get when you get let go, okay? Um once we get inside, we can work on calling someone to come pick you up, okay? Someone's going to have to take got uh possession of you tonight cuz you need to be watched for the next 12 hours. >> Watch your step. Watch your step. So have a seat on that bench right there. Huh? Oh, I need you to face that wall, okay? Just face that wall, okay? Take your handcuffs off of her. Uncuff her right now. Melissa was read the standard statement for motor vehicle operators at the station, but she refused to submit breath samples. Melissa was eventually released to her boyfriend pending her court appearance after he signed the potential Sheila's Law warning form on Melissa's behalf. Patrolman Ridington issued Melissa the following citations: operating under the influence, consent to take samples of breath, failure to give proper signal, and traffic on marked lanes. Just have a seat again. Just have a seat. Just slide this way a little bit. Are the handcuffs too tight on you? Mhm. I'll go grab your paperwork. Got it. Start your 20-minute observation now. It's uh 20:50. And we'll stop at You stop it. Yeah, so we got to run you through a couple more things. So listen, so we got some paperwork to do and we got to process you. Okay. You're not You don't After. After, okay? You're not going to county jail or nothing like that, okay? This is traffic. That's all we're going to do. All right, all right, okay. Okay. You you can't make any phone calls until we're done with this machine or whatever. Just cell phones and How are you, sir? Yeah. Okay, I'm Patrolman Campbell with the Rumson PD, okay? Are you you're Melissa's boyfriend? Yeah. Okay. So I'm going to explain to you what's going on tonight, okay? So she's arrested for driving while intoxicated. Okay. Um So it was a traffic stop. And the field sobriety test she failed them. You actually placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated, okay? In order for me to release her to you, you essentially need to sign over custody of her to make sure she will not get behind the vehicle again tonight. Um and if she does get behind a vehicle again and you allow her to you you yourself can be charged with driving while intoxicated, okay? Yeah, I got to read you this form verbatim, okay? But that's basically what this is in layman's terms, okay? This says you have been summoned by uh or on behalf of the person whose name appears above as defendant, that's Melissa, okay? To transport or accompany the defendant from this law enforcement agency. The defendant has been arrested and charged with one or both of the following motor vehicle violations checked in the box above. Uh pursuant to NJSA 39:4-50.22, this warning is to advise that if you accept responsibility to transport or accompany the defendant and you permit or facilitate the operation of a motor vehicle by the defendant while the defendant is intoxicated or has a blood alcohol concentration at or above that permitted by law covered under 39:4-50, then you are potentially subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Permitting a person who is intoxicated or has a blood alcohol concentration at or above that permitted by law to operate a motor vehicle is a violation of 39:4-50A, driving while intoxicated, okay? If you are charged and convicted under that statute, your driving privilege will be suspended. Fines and monetary penalties will be imposed and you may be in court soon. If you permit or facilitate the defendant to operate a motor vehicle while the defendant remains intoxicated or has a blood alcohol concentration at or above that permitted by law and the defendant becomes involved in a motor vehicle collision where other persons are injured or killed, then you may be subject to indictment and criminal prosecution. If you are prosecuted and found guilty, the court can impose fines and mandatory penalties and an prison sentence. In addition to any criminal liability, if you permit or facilitate the defendant to operate a motor vehicle while the defendant remains intoxicated or has a blood alcohol concentration at or above that permitted by law. And if the defendant becomes involved in a motor vehicle collision where there is property damage, personal injury, or death, then you may be held liable for civil damages, and those damages may not be covered by insurance. Do you understand that? Okay. So, you can just print your name and your address right there for me. Okay. So, I'm going to get you your own copy of this. Okay. I'll leave you your own. tickets or paperwork >> Yeah, so she's going to have tickets. Um Court records indicate that on September 11, 2024, Melissa pleaded guilty to operating under the influence. As a result of her guilty plea, Melissa had to spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, and pay a total of $690 in fines. The other three citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. can be charged with driving while intoxicated and refusal to submit to breath testing. Um nothing criminal. It's all traffic court, okay? I'll show you the court date of I believe it's May 8th here in Woburn. Um we just go right next door. And I'll also give you the information for her car, which is being towed to Hennessy's Towing. Um and she can get that 12 hours from when we just counted to like 11:00 a.m. noon tomorrow, okay? Okay.