How far would you go to get out of a speeding ticket?
For one New York politician, the answer was, claim to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
A dashcam recording shows Jennifer Schwartz Berky arguing with an officer and repeatedly pointing out that she was a county legislator.
The Democrat representing the city of Kingston tells Officer Gary Short of the Ulster County Police Department that she was suffering from a panic attack, after being pulled over for driving at 69 km/h in 50 km/h zone.
Throughout the 25-minute interaction, Berky is seen getting angry, upset, crying and hyperventilating.
The officer attempts to calm her down and when he asks if she needs medical attention, Berky refuses, explaining that she has PTSD and begins accusing the officer of singling her out.
The county legislator explains to Short that she always drives on that road within the speed limit and says, “I always do everything right and I follow the law and I was the same pace as every other car.”
The officer offers to issue a lesser ticket for failure to wear a seatbelt, which Berky declines.
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The incident happened on May 24 and the video was only recently released by the department, despite objections from Berky’s lawyers, who reportedly argued that it would compromise her ability to receive a fair trial for the speeding ticket.
Berky has since apologized for her behaviour. In a statement to media, she wrote, “The video released earlier this week of my Town of Ulster traffic stop captured a tough moment for me. Like so many working families, I too face tough times and stressful situations. As a professional, a public servant and a mother, I know my interaction with Police Officer Gary Short was unacceptable. I want to apologize to Officer Short and thank him for his patience and professionalism with me during a very difficult time.”
“This has been a humbling experience for me. I hope to use it to grow and learn how to better represent the diverse working families who reside in the great the city of Kingston,”she added.
Berky is up for reelection Nov 7.
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