Drunk off-duty police officer attempts to get arresting trooper to let him off
Recently released dashcam video shows an off-duty police officer getting arrested for a DUI and pleading with the fellow officer to let him go. The incident took place on February 16 at around 3 a.m. Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) pulled officer Albert Coriat, 40, over on Florida’s Turnpike in the city of Plantation for making an illegal U-turn.
As reported by WSVN 7 News, after Coriat, a 14-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department, was pulled over he flashed his badge and ID to the FHP trooper and denied being drunk. But according to the FHP report, the trooper detected a “strong odor of alcohol” from Coriat’s breath. The Miami-Dade police officer tried to use his shared law enforcement position with the trooper and asked that he look the other way.
After failing a field sobriety test, the dashcam video captured an exchange between the trooper and Coriat, who appears uncooperative. WFOR CBS Miami reported that Coriat begged for a break once the handcuffs emerged. Coriat says, “I’m a cop, just like you guys.” The trooper says, “I understand that. But you’re doing something that’s illegal.” Coriat responds: “No, I’m not…(unintelligible).” Then Coriat threatens, “It’s not gonna be good for you. Listen to me…” Then the trooper questions him, “What’s not gonna be good for me?”
Eventually the trooper cuffs Coriat after telling him, “You say you're a cop? Are you saying you're a police officer?...Then you understand how the job is. Turn around, face the vehicle."
In handcuffs in the back of the FHP vehicle Coriat would not stop referencing the ‘blue code of silence’ saying, “I'm Metro, bro. I'm Metro. Come on. Just [inaudible] me out, man. We're good. I'm Metro. We're all cops, man. Come on, I'm Metro. Please...please.” Office Corait continues asking the trooper, “Why are you doing this to me?” To which the trooper replies, "Sir, I haven't done anything to you, sir. You did this to yourself. I didn't tell you to go out and drink and then drive." On the drive in the troopers’ car, Coriat is heard complaining about the handcuffs saying, “It hurts, it hurts.”
At around 7:30 a.m., Coriat was transferred to the Broward County jail. The arrested police officer appeals to the trooper one last time telling him that if the trooper was drunk, Coriat would let him go. The trooper said, "You wouldn't take me to jail?" "No, I would have let you go," Coriat said. Then the trooper finally said, "No, I'm sorry, that doesn't work that way." He was apparently telling the truth because according to CBS Miami, the FHP report notes that Coriat told the trooper that “he has stopped and let people go in the past that were driving under the influence.”
At some point after he refused a breathalyzer test, Coriat became sick, vomited, and fell asleep in it. The Miami-Dade Police Department would not comment but said that officer Coriat is now relieved of duty with pay.
