Newly released body camera footage reveals Illinois Democrat Samantha Steele’s confrontational behavior during her drunken driving arrest.
Commissioner on Steel, 45 Cook County Board of Reviewwas taken into custody after crashing into another vehicle in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood on Nov. 10.
Steele’s car and another vehicle sustained extensive damage, according to NBC Chicago. Officers noted that Steele appeared intoxicated, with bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol.
An open bottle of red wine was also found on the floor of the passenger side of his vehicle. Steele refused to submit to sobriety tests, reportedly saying, “I want my lawyer, and I’m not talking to you.”
In the bodycam footage, Steele repeatedly referred to his position as an elected official.
“I’m an elected official,” she stated, in an apparent attempt to resist arrest. At one point, when officers warned her to cooperate, Steele replied, “You don’t want that,” before making a smug reference to her Cook County connection.
The footage also shows Steele mocking the officers.
According to the Daily Mail, she even asked an officer if her “pe**s were small,” a comment she repeated during her hospital visit after complaining of a head injury. Steele initially refused to leave his car, warning officers that they would remove him if necessary.
Steele was charged with one misdemeanor count of driving while intoxicated and is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 27. The first-term Democrat, elected in 2022, has also faced previous controversies.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the former aide filed a whistleblower lawsuit in July, accusing her of ethics violations and retaliation, including leaking confidential information and bias in public comments.
The incident has drawn widespread criticism, with recommendations for accountability and ethics training following earlier findings against Steele.
Her future as a public official remains uncertain as legal proceedings continue.