David Cook is a Republican politician elected to serve in the Arizona House of Representatives from the 8th Legislative District. He was first elected to the state House in 2016 and represents central & eastern Pinal County and southern Gila County.
On December 19, 2018, Cook was pulled over by an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper in Mesa, Arizona after the officer spotted Cook’s vehicle failing to maintain its lane on Loop 202. When asked to step out of his vehicle, Cook responded “Do you know what you’re doing, son? You’re making a mistake.â€
Cook was arrested with a measured blood-alcohol content of .158%, well above the state limit of .08%… and tested well after the time of his initial stop.
When the officer informed Cook that he would lose his driver’s license, Cook responded that he would be fine because his wife works at MVD, Arizona’s Motor Vehicle Division. When the trooper told Cook to watch his head while exiting the rear of his police car, Cook responded “Don’t worry, you’ll get yours.”
Not long after Cook’s arrest a number of news media outlets announced that “body cam” footage from the arrest had been released. It had not.
Arizona DPS does not use body-worn cameras. In fact, AZDPS is one of the few state police agencies to use a fleet of police cars where a significant number of vehicles have no video camera of any kind. What had been released was a single minute of dash camera footage – from the only vehicle that had a camera – along with a one minute audio recording from a separate wireless audio recorder.
As you may have guessed, Cook’s DUI stop took more than a minute. That footage has been held by the state police since Cook’s arrest.
Here it is.
(Curious about the red solo cup in the thumbnail? Read the vehicle inventory at 20:43.)
** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
On March 8, 2019 David Cook accepted a plea deal in North Mesa Justice Court. His case was adjudicated by Justice of the Peace Cecil Ash, a former Republican state legislator. Cook pled guilty to misdemeanor drunken driving, which typically comes with a 10-day jail sentence. Cook's jail time, however, was reduced to 24 hours under the condition that he complete a drug and alcohol treatment program — which he has already done, in the form of a 16-hour web-based DUI course. Cook is required to attend a MADD victim impact panel by May 8, 2019, and will be on probation for five years after his 24 hours jail stint, during which he must not drink alcohol "to excess." Additionally, Cook has been assessed fines and fees totaling $1,834.50.
Man I love these idiots thinking they're above the law and then realizing their position don't mean shit when you break the law.
OMG, 999K!!! 🥳
YES
Video and audio quality hard to watch
If his eyes are so bad then switch the dwi to no drivers license because he is not safe to be operating a vehicle. See how he comes up with a different excuse, and above the law…
Standing that way anyone will fail thats way the police tells you to stand like that while they talk to you anyone will lose there balance then you go to jail all the test are setup to fail
I think I understood a word!
Where is the first video before the supervisor arrived?
Another privileged, frat–boy douche.
This guy has an infamous record in Arizona. He drives 120 in a 60 and says "laws don't apply to me" in public. Brags about it in the bars. I live close to him. I drive that freeway every day.
this is so disgusting…american politicians are a shame for the whole country
Something about a jacket?
Subtitles please.
I feel like a moron.. but can someone tell me what a 'thumbnail' is on YouTube?
For all you Morons praising the Cops for doing their job against this "Entitled POS" these are the same cops that would be expecting the same treatment when they get stopped for DWI.
No lights on the police cars = traffic hazard. Isn't this taught in LEO 101 ?
There’s probably no chance that this lawmaker will propose a bill to fund better recorders for this department now, huh ?
No body cams wtf AZ DPS?
Giving the cop a hard time will never help you.
This is the first I've heard a condition of probation being "must not drink to excess" generally its abstain from drugs and alcohol then again I'm from Massachusetts…. What are they scared his withdrawal will kill him😂
Well, judging by his sentence he was right to throw his weight around. He is actually more important than these "Joe Blows" as proven by the totally impartial justice system.
"sworn to procure only the worst recording equipment known to man" …accurate
He's my x-brother in law. Both He, & his brother, and their dad…are abusive, alcoholic Narcisists! They should have at the very least made this dufus go to A.A. or rehab! He has a beautiful home…while his mother in ill health lived in a dilapidated mobile home, in Oklahoma! She was finally diagnosed with 4th stage colon cancer, & passed almost a year ago. My daughter is blind as a result of David enabling his alcoholic brother. Anything you guys want to know, just let me know.
You drink, you drive, you should lose your cushy state job. As stated below, don't care if you're repunklican or democrap.
Next time this idiot drives drunk – justice will be served when he kills the children of the presiding judge.
I'm proud they didn't let him go or drive him home and forget the whole thing. It happens.
I have a bag of potatoes I'm willing to donate to the AZ police department to improve their recording quality.
About 15 years ago coming home from work after midnight, I got behind a drunken cop in a plain fleet Impala on a 2-lane highway. He was using ALL of the road coming over hill crests, the kind of drunk that will kill somebody. Fortunately there was nobody else on the road. I called my county's police, gave a lic plate # and while following the vehicle I spoke at length with the dispatcher who revealed she knew the driver's home address and said he wasn't far from his home. Then I ultimately watched them escort the drunken cop safely home.
With this annoying audio, this video should have been posted April 1. I sure felt like a fool watching it expecting it to get better.
It's almost like they want to get killed by another drunk driver while busting this one. It doesn't appear that they have their lights going..They are standing in between the vehicles all while being way too close to the lanes. Didn't seem safe at all.
It always amazes me how politicians in both parties somehow think they can wield their influence over the police when they've made a mistake…especially a mistake that could have hurt someone else had this gentleman lost control of his car due to the alcohol in his blood while driving.
I guess he won't be advocating for tougher DUI any time soon. Why not remove their license for 5 years for the 1st offense? If caught driving , 5 years in jail. How is that not law already?
Exactly they make up the law if the land witch is common people follow butt they feel they do not have to follow SHM.
Throw the book at this pos
I wish that I would hear one cop say “sir/ma’am …you’re as drunk as a damn skunk so quit lyingâ€. Lol. JUST ONCE!
Funny that those cameras cost thousands of dollars and work only part of the time and when they do work they are garbage.
My $59 Android works 100% of the time and has 100 times better video and audio quality.
Sounds like Charlie Brown's parents talking. Sub titles w no audio would be bearable.
This is undermining my thought that privilege does not exist…
Arizona uses cabbage to record traffic stops.
that cowboy hat he wears is so ridiculous. what a joke for a person.
sorry dude, that audio was too annoying to watch. I'm sure republicans will say the cops were democrats…lol
I wanna hear more about this jacket issue!! MORE JACKET ISSUE!
Can someone please explain to me what the purpose of giving him the permit is if his driving privileges have been suspended.
No he doesn't know what he's doing iam sure this pig will
Loos his job
This dude is going off on a tangent about a jacket. I sure hope he’s drunk.
never submit to a fst, never talk to le. they are gathering evidence to use against you!!
I hope it had the effect to get some axon body cams for their law enforcement as this was by far the WORST quality visual/sound recording I have seen in ages!
The few idiot Repubs don't compare to the majority of idiot Dems.