Police officers in Florida are still in shock after tracking down and arresting a woman who had been live broadcasting her alleged drunk driving adventure on social media.
Twenty-three-year-old Whitney Beall was in her car in the wee hours of Saturday morning when she aimed her phone’s camera at herself and launched the Periscope app – a live video streaming service.
She called her stream, “Driving home drunk. Entertainment please!!!”
“I’m driving home drunk,” Beall slurred the words as she spoke to her audience.
“Let’s see if I can do it all the way home without a ticket.”
Raw Video: Woman claims to be drinking and driving during Periscope live stream
Beall went on to acknowledge she was also driving with a flat tire, calling it ‘horrible’. She even complained about getting stuck at a red light while she conversed.
“I got to tell you I was a little shocked,” Lakeland Police spokesman Sgt. Gary Gross told WTSP. “After 30 years of law enforcement I hadn’t seen anything like this before.”
Multiple people sent messages on the app and text messages to Beall, pleading for her to get off the road before somebody was harmed. But she ignored those calls and instead reemphasized that she thought she was lost.
“I am drunk on South Florida Avenue because I’m a drunk person,” Beall added.
Gross explained that police eventually received a call alerting them to the ongoing incident. The make of her car was provided along with an estimated location.
WATCH: Footage shows allegedly drunk Periscope driver fail sobriety test miserably
While Periscope isn’t officially supported by Lakeland Police, a younger officer downloaded the software and began watching the stream in order to pin-point her location.
Beall hit a curb with her right front tire as she was pulled over, according to authorities. She allegedly smelled of alcohol and her speech was slow and eyes were bloodshot and glossy.
She was arrested for DUI after failing a Standardized Field Sobriety Test and was locked up in Polk County Jail.
“She is a young professional with a bright future,” Beall’s attorney, Lee Cohen, said in a statement. “When her court date is set, I will be entering a plea on her behalf of not guilty.”
Beall returned home Monday and told WFLA that “what happened was a big mistake and she was learning her lesson”.
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