South Carolina police say a woman who sped through a stop sign and was slurring her words allegedly used her race, intelligence and cleanliness as reasons she didn’t belong in jail.
Lauren Elizabeth Cutshaw, 32, was charged with a number offenses, including drunken driving, speeding and marijuana possession, after an early Saturday traffic stop in Bluffton, South Carolina.
Police say a Breathalyzer test showed Cutshaw’s blood-alcohol level at 0.18 percent. A person is considered impaired if their BAC is .08 percent or higher, according to South Carolina law.
During the course of the arrest, Cutshaw gave a number of reasons why she shouldn’t be jailed, some of which were used as evidence of her intoxication, according to police records obtained by the Associated Press and the Island Packet.
Among the statements Cutshaw made to police:
- She is a “very clean, thoroughbred, white girl.”
- She was a cheerleader and in a sorority.
- Her partner is a police officer.
- She had good grades, was in the National Honor Society and graduated from a “high accredited university.”
At the police station, Cutshaw allegedly used her race and cleanliness as a reason she didn’t belong in jail. An officer, who was also white, questioned why that would matter.
Cutshaw reportedly replied, “You’re a cop, you should know what that means.” She also said the officer should know her meaning “based on the people that come in this room.”
A dashcam video of the arrest shows Cutshaw begging not to be jailed and calling herself a “pretty girl,” according to the New York Post. In the video she also expressed worry that the arrest would “ruin her career.”
Cutshaw told police she drank two glasses of wine. When asked how full the glasses of wine were, she reportedly replied, “I mean I was celebrating my birthday.”
During the arrest, police say they also found marijuana and rolling papers in her car, and Cutshaw admitted she “may have” smoked earlier.
