Drunk decisions and dramatic denials. October 17th, 2023, St. Augustine, Florida. A witness calls in a report. One very drunk woman trying to load another very drunk woman into a white Honda. What could possibly go wrong? UI forcing 1012. The wouldbe driver, Christina McNichols, slurs out a heroic tale of reviving her friend Shauna with a single water bottle. Medical science, but make it dumb. Officer, so the one on the right is the one that is driving. Good. Tell me exactly where you found her. There. Nothing. No signal on. No, but tell me exactly where you found her. Right here. Right there. When I walked up, I said, "What are you doing?" She said, "I'm trying to get her in the car." I said, "Who's driving?" She said she's the driver. But we're not driving anywhere until everything is kosher. Is it? Yes. Cool. Where's your keys? When it's kosher, we will drive the car. Cool. Where's your keys? In the car. They're in the car. Yes. Cool. Whose car is it? I have your It's your husband's car. Okay. Cool. You guys are familiar with constructive possession? What is constructive possession? So, that's a no. Constructive possession means you can just get in the car and drive off. That's constructor possession. Okay. The vehicle's open. The keys are in it. That's constructor possession. So, what's the point of you telling us The point of telling you that is is to prevent you from dropping off so you don't crash and kill somebody. We won't. Right. I'm going to make sure. So, my top priority is she's okay. And the fact that she's not okay. She looks like she's been throwing up a lot. Should we have rescue come check on her? The fact that she's been throwing up keeps me here. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I got you. Okay. I will not drive. I will not do anything until she is okay. Okay. Where's your phone and purse? In the car, right? With the keys, right? Exactly. That's constructed possession. Cool. All right. Do you have any ID with you? Um, it's probably in the car. Okay. Very good. How about her ID? Christina reeks of alcohol, has glassy eyes, and refuses to give her name. Where you guys coming from? Why don't you just open it? I don't need to hold on. Shake it out for me. Honey, we just really want to make sure that she's okay. And we're not trying to go anywhere. I know. And yet you're in construct possession of your car. And yet we've got four people surrounding us, right? I don't No, stop. I just don't understand why we have four people surrounding us when we are literally sitting in a dead parking lot and I'm just trying to make sure that my friend is okay. No, what you're trying to do is put her in the car so she could drive off. What I'm trying to do is make sure she's not throwing up and make sure she's hydrated. Right. You want us to get rescue to come check on her? You can. Okay, cool. He can't if that saves her life. Until then, I'm not trying to do anything for you guys to get involved to the point where there's four people standing here. Yeah. And a couple handsome ones, too. Really? Handsome matters not. He can be handsome all he wants, but he can be. What was the words you just said? Evil soul. Evil soul. Evil soul. Contact with her for just a quick second. Careful. Multiple phones, multiple open containers. How did you get in the car? How did we get in the car? Because apparently my words. Was it locked? Like when you guys went to town, was it locked? I lock. It's a It has an automatic lock. Has automatic lock. We walked here from No, we walked We parked here and we walked to the concert to the what? The concert. To the concert. The one at the amphitheater. Yes. So, you're coming from the amphitheater? Yes. So, you walked on foot all the way from the amphitheater to here. Exactly. Did not drive. One day. That's good. That's good. But then you open this car. We opened this car to get her a bottle of water because we realized she was dehydrated. We realized she was dehydrated. So, we opened this car to give her a bott of water and then we realized that she did not have a bottle of water in this car. So, we sat here while she threw up. And we did not move a bit. We did not move one bit. I think we establish any driver's license and we sat here while she threw up and contemplated how we can get her hydrated. How about you contemplate how to get and then the police got involved and we've got one, two, three, six. Six people surrounding us. Six. You're a very good counter. Let me ask you a quick question. How are you contemplating getting her home? Stay here until she gets hydrated. It's going to be hours and hours. She's going to freeze to death before then. No, she won't. I've got a jean jacket. I will cover her up. I will freeze to death for her. Honey, good friend, have you thought about Lift or Uber? I have not. You haven't? I have not. No. No. You know why? But you know, you know that might come later on in my thought process, but as of right now, I'm dealing with the six police officers that are sitting here for whatever reason when there's probably some more urgent situations going on outside of us. Do you think preventing your fatalities is an urgent situation? I I mean I'm not driving. We're literally sitting here trying to sober her up. Cool. So preventing preventing fatalities is a very urgent situation and it's not something that we fatalities are urg are are fatalities. All right. Cool. Where is your ID, please? You don't know? No. Is it on your person? Is it in the car? You know, I just could you tell me your name and date of birth? How about that? No. So, I forgot. So, you don't want to provide any of your personal information? Does that mean I get arrested? Sir, do you want to be arrested? I do not. Okay. Why don't you want to be compliant? I've asked you very nicely. I'm treating you with respect and professionalism. All I'm asking is for you to tell me. Will you let us sit here with respect and professionalism? I may well be able to do that to get her sober. I may be able to do that, but they're asking me on the radio who I'm out with, and I can't tell them who I'm out with cuz I don't know your name. Why don't you just let me have your ID or your basic information. I'm okay. And then we can assist you with helping her get I forgot where it was. Okay. Sorry. We're going to wait. Might I may well just take this one. Miss Forte, do you mind if we look in your car so we can get her ID? Uh, yes. 26 add or link, please. It is my husband's car, right? So, you're the owner, right? Cuz it's a husband in Florida. It's joint property. You've heard of that, right? Whatever you own, he owns. Yes. All right. Do you mind if we look in your car so we can find her ID? Yes or no? Can I ask what? I'm not talking to you, ma'am. I'm talking to her now. No, I don't mind. Okay. Thank you. [Applause] Miss Forte, which one of these open containers in that parked vehicle is yours? The hard apple cider, Mike's hard pineapple, or the [Applause] It's got a chrona skin on it. Cayman Jack Zero Sugar Margarita. Which one? Thank you. Citation number one. Wallet, purse, ID. I don't know. Okay. Nothing on you. Cool. You seem like a egotistical cop. You think I'm egotistical? Oh, your your actions speak loud. I'm sorry you feel that way. I've treated you with nothing but respect and professionalism and you've refused to be compliant in all areas. Okay. Every single one of my requests you've denied. I hope they You're doing nothing to help your friend. I even called rescue to come check on her and I told you to bring it. Good. How How's it going? Good. Uh we're just looking for a quick uh you know medical eval to make sure she doesn't die right here. Yeah. No, she's good. She's alert and oriented. Okay. So, uh she's refusing rescue. Yeah. Yeah. She doesn't want to go. I thought you wanted to take care of your friend. We're giving you the opportunity to have your friend properly evaluated. You're going to at least let him check her blood pressure, check her blood sugar or something? She has a lot of control over you. Maybe we should separate then so she can make her own decision as an adult. Do you mind to pat her down for weapons, please? Please stand up. Not at all. Hi there. Please stand up. I'm officer. Can you just stand up? I'm just going to pat you down real quick. This nice officer was kind enough to call me in. Please stand up, ma'am. I have no weapons. No, I understand. Okay. Believe it or not, people lie to us all the time. So, I'm just going to do a quick pat down. Okay. Please stand out. If we don't need to make this hard at all. I do this all the time every night. It's either me or one of these guys. Who'd you rather have touching you? Honey. Why is there So, I'm going to be really We're going to make it super simple. Stand up and I'm going to You don't have a choice in the back. Up we go. 1 2 3. I'm not a threat. You want me to demonstrate it? You want me to demonstrate? Oh, yeah. 5 432. Stand up. She doesn't. It doesn't matter. We We're not We're not We're not dialoguing. I'm telling you what to do. I'm giving you a lawful order to stand up. This is your last warning. Stand up right now. You're going to be arrested for disorderly intoxication and refusing to obey lawful command. That's three separate charges. I have no weapons on me. Record this. Everything's being recorded. I have no weapons on me. Perfect. I have no weapons. I have no alcohol. I have no drugs. Looking for an ID. I have no weapons. I have no nothing. I have no drugs. Clean. What? What's that? A chapstick? Okay. Chapstick. I have chapstick in my pocket. Honey, I have nothing in my pocket. What you got in your back pocket there? A wallet. Great. I need that ID. She still refused to give us her ID. I I have not refused anything, sir. I am not I am not Do you mind to let me see your ID? I am not in any I am not in any danger to anybody. So why are we Why are we questioning me in any sort of way? What's up? Do you mind to please hand me your ID now if you're not refusing? For what? I've already explained it. For what? We're just trying to help you. Do you mind if I record this? Ma'am, there's a camera there. There's a camera here. There's a camera there. There's a camera there. It's not going to be wiped. Do you mind if we give me your ID now? Don't put it away. Hand me your ID now. I am 100% clean. Am I in lawful order to hand you my ID? You're required by state statute and by my lawful order to give you I am 100% safe. I am 100% safe. I am no threat to anybody. And me ID. I am no threat to anybody. Why are you guys questioning me so hard? Is it because your ego is [ __ ] hurt? Can I make a suggestion? Just hand me your ID before you fall over. I will fall over. Is everybody here done? Cuz I'm done. Yeah. Yep. Okay. Good. Yeah. You're under arrest. Put your behind your back. Stop resisting. What? Thank you. Stop resisting. Don't pull away. Why am I under arrest? You're under arrest for obstruction of justice. You're under arrest for failure to obey lawful command. You're under arrest for disorderly intoxication. And you weren't doing anything with sitting here in a witness statements and you being uh in positive control of the vehicle. You're under arrest for DUI. Control of a vehicle. Stop talking. There was no control vehicle. Stop talking. There was no control of a vehicle. Great. Stand right here. Lean against the car this way, please. There was no control of a vehicle, sir. There was no vehicle. that the key was not in the ignition. Listen to me. The key was not in the ignition. How is there any control? Next step in the process for me to request a breath sample so we can determine this alcohol console. Is that something you'd be willing to do for me? I'm not willing to do anything. So, I did the pat down but not a full service. That's okay. That's fine. You're ready. That's all right. That's fine. I I I refuse. I repeat, I do not agree with this at all. Do you mind to please help get her a ride home? She's calling her husband. Okay, cool. You got that wallet? You're being arrested. I got her. Thank you. I'll run it for you. That's fine. I'm going to Why am I being arrested? Why am I being arrested? He already explained that to you. No, you did not. I didn't. He did. He What the Did he explain to me, sir? Because I'm confused. Why am I being arrested? I have nothing. I have nothing, ma'am. There's nothing going on with me. I have nothing. She refuses the breath test again, which is a problem since she did the same thing back in 2016 and add an additional charge of refusal with prior refusal. You think your husband's going to come get the car? Yeah. Well, um I don't I don't know about getting the car. He I'm sorry. Um I just got off the phone with him. He's going to come get me. Okay. And he is bringing our dogs. Uh not uh he didn't specifically that I really want to give her this key back for right this minute. I can I'll stay by her. That's fine. Christina Lee McNichols was charged with driving under the influence, refused to submit DUI test after license suspension, obstruct without violence, disorder intox public place, cause disturbance. Moral of the story, if your DUI plan includes yelling at cops and trusting bottled water, it's time to rethink your life choices.