I’m pretty sure we both knew I wasn’t drunk, but he made me get out of the car, and in front of my teenage cousin and all the traffic going by, he gave me two sobriety tests: an eye test and a counting test. I was nervous and humiliated, but I passed both. He then asked me to do a test that required standing on one leg. I politely told him that I had a knee injury that would make it hard to pass, but I didn’t refuse. I followed his directions, walking back and forth on a line successfully but wobbled when I stood on my bad leg. He said because I had a minor in the car, he had to take me into the station for a breathalyzer test.
I couldn’t believe it. I’ve never been in a situation like this. I don’t get in trouble. Still, even though I felt like something was off, I was sure once I blew, he would let me go. I was wrong.
I was concerned about leaving my young cousin alone on the side of the road. He promised to take good care of her (which turns out he did not, and she was picked up by her minor boyfriend). He handcuffed me, put me in the backseat of the police car, and took me to the station. All the way there, he continued to cheerfully chat me up and assured me that if I passed the test, I could go home.
Once there, officers took my Apple watch and my jewelry, including a gold bracelet that I always wear because it has sentimental value to me. Other officers were looking at me like they were feeling bad for me, but none of them helped me. I wondered if it was because I’m Black or because I’m gay. Now, I think it was because I was another person they could try to extort. I could not believe that the people who were supposed to protect me were abusing their power to hurt me.
I took the breathalyzer twice and was below the legal limit. I was sure that now I would be able to go home but that’s not what happened. He charged me with a DWI. I felt like the ground was crumbling below my feet. I was terrified and confused. I still had my phone, and I wanted to call 911 for help but realized I was already with the very people I would call. It didn’t feel real. It was too much like a horror movie to be real. With his lapel camera removed, Officer Montaño told me he had an attorney friend who could make this all go away. Alarm bells were going off in my head. This was not right.