Bodycam of Aurora councilmember's Rob Andrews DUI arrest
By: -----
Aurora, CO - Bodycam footage showing the DUI arrest of newly elected Aurora Councilmember Rob Andrews was released Tuesday, showing Andrews expressing concern to officers that the incident would be made public.
Andrews, 41, driving a Ford F-250, was stopped by an Aurora patrol officer on Jan. 17 around 9:30 p.m. on S. Chambers Road near the intersection of S. Chambers Circle for allegedly splitting lanes and making wide turns, according to the department.
Police arrested the councilmember on charges of driving under the influence, driving with excessive alcohol content, changing lanes when unsafe (weaving), and making a left turn from the wrong lane, police said.
Andrews' blood alcohol level was 0.252, which is more than three times above the legal limit for DUI in Colorado, according to a police report.
During the stop, the footage shows Andrews cooperating with officers as the councilmember performs a field sobriety test at their request, but tells the officer that he may not be able to perform certain tests “due to a recent fall,” he is heard saying in the video.
After allegedly failing the test, Andrews is placed in cuffs and transported to the Aurora Municipal Detention Center, where a breathalyzer test is performed. While waiting for results, an officer is heard explaining to Andrews the possible penalties for a DUI citation, and tells him that a first DUI offense is a misdemeanor, according to the footage.
During their conversation, Andrews is heard expressing concerns about the public nature of the arrest and asks how the incident could be sealed from the record:
Andrews: "I'm more concerned about the public not knowing about this.”
APD officer: "We don't tell anybody, but everything we do is open to public records.”
Andrews: “How do you get that sealed?”
APD officer: “You would have to talk to the records department. That’s above me.”
Later, Andrews is heard asking the officer administering the breathalyzer a second time about the process for sealing his case, and the officer responds that any personal information would be redacted if released.
Andrews appears reassured and tells the officer that he doesn’t want his name on the record because "I've got some people who are interested in calling me some really bad names," but stops short of naming those people.
After his Jan. 17 arrest, Andrews was placed on a detox hold at the detention center and released the next morning on a summons, according to the department.