TONIGHT WE’RE TAKING A CLOSER LOOK AT THAT TRAFFIC STOP WHAT WAS SAID AND THE
WALL THAT WOULD HAVE PROTECTED
HIM FROM ARREST.
AND GOOD
EVENING, WE’RE WORKING FOR YOU
TO GET ANSWERS ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED DURING A DUI TRAFFIC
STOP INVOLVING AN ELECTED
OFFICIAL OVER
THE WEEKEND.
>>IT’S A STORY.
WE’VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN FOLLOWING
VERY CLOSELY THROUGHOUT THE DAY
AS WE SHARED VIRGINIA DELEGATE
CHRIS HURST WAS PULLED OVER
IN CHRISTIANSBURG.
>>EARLY SUNDAY MORNING BUT WAS
NOT ARRESTED,
EVEN THOUGH A FIELD SOBRIETY
TEST PUT HIM OVER THE
LEGAL LIMIT.
TONIGHT, THE GILES COUNTY GOP
IS ASKING HER
TO RESIGN.
AND POLICE DASH CAM FOOTAGE
CAUGHT THE
ENTIRE INTERACTION HERE IT IS
NOW FROM THE FLASHING LIGHTS TO
THE OFFICERS DECISION.
>>TO LET HIM GO HOME.
>>POLICE PULL
DELEGATE CHRIS HURST OVER AT
ABOUT 02:00AM
SUNDAY MORNING.
ON
INTERSTATE 81 AFTER OBSERVING
THIS CAR CROSSING THE WHITE
LINE ON THE RIGHT SIDE, 3
TIMES.
>>OF ALL
>>DASH CAMERA VIDEO SHOWS OFFICERS SWEPT A RETURNING TO HIS CAR AND TURNING OFF THE
BLUE LIGHT FACING
HEARST’S VEHICLE.
HE RADIOS YOU WANTS TO TAKE A
CLOSER LOOK AT HIS EYES.
>>SWEATER PERFORMS
THE TEST IN
THE MEANTIME, A SECOND OFFICER
ARRIVES ON THE SCENE.
THE FIRST OFFICER INSTRUCTS
FIRST TO GET OUT OF
THE CAR AND ASKED HIM ABOUT
WHERE
HE WAS.
>>O WAS THAT THE PARTY WAS WITH
>>THE OFFICER THEN QUESTIONS IF HEARST KNOWS HIS OWN STATUS.
PASSES TO
PASSES TO SOBRIETY TEST COUNTING BACKWARDS AND RECITING THE
MIDDLE OF THE ALPHABET
AGE A FEW MINUTES
LATER FIRST TELLS THE OFFICER
HE’S BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH THIS I
HAD A GUN IS LIKE FROM DRIVING
BACK AND FORTH
TO RICHMOND.
HE SAYS IT AFFECTS HIS BALANCE.
EARLY WOBBLE SEVERAL TIMES WHEN ASKED TO WALK HEEL TO TOE 10 STEPS UP AND BACK.
>>I THINK IT WAS A A
AND IT.
AND IT. >>FOR A NUMBER >>THE OFFICER THEN OFFERS TO
ADMINISTER A
BREATHALYZER TEST HEARST ASKED
WHAT IF I DON’T TAKE
HEARST ASKED IF HE’LL BE ARRESTED. >>AND MY FRIEND.
>>HE’S OVER THE LIMIT OF WAY.
>>THE OFFICER THEN EXPLAINS WHY HE WILL NOT BE ARRESTING HERS BECAUSE HE
BELIEVES BY THE TIME THEY GIVE
HIM THE REAL TEST, HE WOULD NO
LONGER BE OVER
THE LIMIT.
>>THE OFFICER ASKED IF HEARST
PASSENGER HAS BEEN DRINKING.
HEARST SAYS
A LITTLE SHE IS THEN ALSO GIVEN
A TEST.
SHE PASSES.
IT’S CLOSE.
>>I CAN’T SAY HE JUST DROPPED.
>>WE RECEIVED A SERIES OF TEXTS BETWEEN OFFICERS SWEPT CAREER AND THE
SHIFT COMMANDER.
>>AND THESE WERE SENT ON THE
NIGHT THAT HEARST WAS PULLED
OVER SO TAKE A LOOK THERE’S A
SCREEN SHOT
RIGHT NOW.
STRIKER SAYS I DON’T THINK OF
ANY MEDIA ATTENTION UNLESS
SOMEONE HEARD HIS NAME ON THE
RADIO AT
02:00AM BUT I FEEL TESTED.
CHRIS HURST LAST NIGHT
POINT.
>>O 8, 5, B A C IN THE FIELD.
I DIDN’T CHARGE HIM WITH
ANYTHING.
HIS GIRLFRIEND WAS
WITH HIM AND THEN DOG
THE COMMANDER FOR THAT SHIFT
SAYS THANKS STEVE AND
THEN ADDS ARE THEY IMMUNE FROM
PROSECUTION WHEN THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY IS IN SESSION JUST
A THOUGHT SO AFTER THE
OFFICER SAYS MAYBE IF EN ROUTE
TO RICHMOND FOR SESSION.
BUT I’M NOT SURE ABOUT IN ROUTE
HOME FROM A PARTY THOUGH, AND
THE COMMANDER SAYS GOOD JOB,
EITHER WAY.
MANY OF YOU AT HOME MAY BE
ASKING WHY DELEGATE HEARST WAS
NOT ARRESTED IT TURNS OUT THAT
THERE IS A VIRGINIA LAW THAT
DOES PROTECT STATE SENATORS AND
REPRESENTATIVES FROM BEING
ARRESTED DURING THE SESSION
WHICH IS GOING ON
RIGHT NOW.
>>IT’S NOT COMPLETELY A GET OUT
OF JAIL FREE CARD THEY CAN
STILL BE ARRESTED FOR
SERIOUS CRIMES IN VIRGINIA
INTOXICATED DRIVING DOES NOT
BECOME A FELONY CHARGE UNTIL
SOMEONE’S 3RD OFFENSE WITHIN A
10 YEAR SPAN OR UNLESS SOMEONE
IS HURT
OR KILLED.
POLICE CAN STILL ARREST SOMEONE
FOR A SUSPECTED DUI
EVEN IF THEIR BLOOD ALCOHOL
LEVEL IS UNDER THE LEGAL LIMIT
DEPENDING ON HOW THE DRIVER
IS ACTING.
EXPERTS SAY IT REALLY COMES
DOWN TO THE OFFICERS
DISCRETION.
>>I KNOW THE PUBLIC WILL BE
CONCERN IS WELL IF IT WERE ME
WOULD I BE PROVIDED THE SAME
OPPORTUNITY AS SOMEONE
WHO HAS THE UNITY.
I’M NOT SURE
ABOUT THAT THAT REALLY IS UP TO THE OFFICERS DISCRETION. >>TURNS
OUT THERE ARE SIMILAR LAWS IN
OTHER STATES THAT GIVE
LEGISLATORS IMMUNITY.
THEY’RE ALSO PROTECTIONS FOR
DIPLOMATS AND MEMBERS OF THE
UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
NOW HIRST HAS MADE SEVERAL
STATEMENTS TODAY ABOUT BEING
PULLED OVER NO COMMENTS
ON CAMERA.
HIS MOST RECENT HOWEVER WAS
POSTED TO HIS FACEBOOK PAGE
LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT READS IN
PART.
QUOTE I KNEW THE DANGERS OF
DRINKING AND DRIVING AHEAD OF
TIME I JUST PLAYED POOR
JUDGMENT AND MADE
A MISTAKE TO THOSE I HAVE LET
DOWN I AM DEEPLY SORRY.
I WILL SPEND THE REMAINDER OF
MY TIME
IN OFFICE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO
ADVOCATE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND
REGAIN ANY TRUST THAT I MAY
HAVE LOST.
MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING
IS WEIGHING IN ON THE
SITUATION.
>>THEY SAY THEY UNDERSTAND THAT
OFFICERS HAVE DISCRETION WHILE
ON PATROL, BUT THAT THEY DON’T WANT ANYONE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE.
THEY ALSO HOPE SOMEONE’S
POLITICAL POSITION WOULD NOT
IMPACT A
POSSIBLE ARREST.
TONIGHT, THEY’RE HOPING
DELEGATE HEARST WILL JOIN THEM
IN THEIR FIGHT.
>>SO
HOPE TO THE DELEGATE WILL TAKE
SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS
ACTIVISM.
YOU KNOW ONE NOT DO IT AGAIN IN TO HELP US WITH OUR MISSION TO STOP.
>>THE CHRISTIANSBURG OFFICER WHO PULLED DELEGATE HEARST OVER HAS GOTTEN A NUMBER OF AWARDS
FROM
MAD VIRGINIA.
BUT THEY SAY IT WAS LOCAL
POLICE LEADERSHIP THAT PICKED
HIM FOR THE AWARD AND NOT MAD
ITSELF.