Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley issued an apology for her behavior after being caught on police bodycam footage berating an officer who pulled her over for speeding near her home in upstate New York. Doorley attributed her outburst to work stress, citing dealing with three homicides over the weekend, watching a video of a cab driver being executed, and a concerning medical issue involving her husband. Despite these stressors, Doorley acknowledged that she should not have taken her frustrations out on the officer, recognizing that police officers already have a tough job and she made it harder for him that day.
The incident occurred when Doorley refused to stop for the cop who tried to pull her over after allegedly driving 55 mph in a 35 mph zone. Instead, she drove home and called Webster Police Chief Dennis Kohlmeier to complain about the officer pursuing her, referring to him as an “a–hole.” Despite her behavior, Doorley was still issued a traffic ticket and pleaded guilty to the violation shortly after the encounter. The footage of her interaction with the officer went viral, prompting Governor Kathy Hochul to refer Doorley to a state commission for further investigation into her conduct, as many called for her resignation.
In her apology, Doorley acknowledged that her actions were wrong and took full responsibility for them. She admitted that she fell short of the values she has held for her entire 33-year career and failed to treat the officer with the respect he deserved. Doorley expressed remorse for her behavior and stated that all police officers deserve respect. In addition to accepting the consequences of her actions, Doorley announced that she would refer the case to a different district attorney’s office for a full review and discipline herself for her misconduct.
Doorley emphasized the importance of professionalism and ethics in her role as a district attorney, recognizing that her behavior was unacceptable and inexcusable. She mentioned that if one of her assistant district attorneys had acted in a similar manner, she would have disciplined them, so she was taking the same action against herself. Doorley committed to undergoing ethics training to remind herself of the significance of professionalism in her position and vowed to make amends for her actions. She clarified that she had no intention of using her position to receive any special treatment and emphasized that nobody, including a district attorney, is above the rule of law, including traffic laws.
