A woman who was stopped by authorities on suspicion of drunk driving made things worse after handing a gift card to the officer instead of her driver’s license.
The incident happened early last Sunday morning in Tampa, Florida (USA), when Kami Ellis, 52, was stopped by officers from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for driving the wrong way.
Body camera footage was shared by the sheriff’s office on social media. “Are you feeling okay?” the officer asked Ellis after pulling her over. “Yes, I’m fine,” Ellis replied. “Do you not know how to turn off your car?” the officer then asked.
Apparently, Ellis was struggling to turn off the vehicle, which led the officer to ask if the car belonged to her, to which she replied, “Yes.” After finally turning off the vehicle, the officer told her she had been stopped due to her erratic driving.
The officer then asked her to present her driver’s license, but instead she handed over her credit card. “That’s your credit card,” the officer said.
Realizing her mistake, she tried again, but this time handed him a gift card from the bookstore Barnes & Noble. “That’s a Barnes & Noble gift card,” the officer stated.
The video then shows Ellis outside her car before the officer asks her to take a step forward, a simple action she performed with great difficulty. After asking her to put her glasses back on, the officer is seen placing her in handcuffs.
Ellis was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. An arrest report showed her blood alcohol levels were 0.204 and 0.209, more than double the legal limit. She was later released after posting a $1,000 bond.
Photo and video: Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office / Facebook. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
