Beatrice Catalano at the mayoral debate on NewsChannel 15.
On Friday, NewsChannel 15 obtained dashcam video of Myrtle Beach mayoral candidate Bea Catalano's DUI arrest. The video was released to NewsChannel 15 by the Horry County Solicitor's office through a Freedom of Information request.
The video, which spans about 50 minutes, shows the initial roadside stop, Catalano's ride to jail and the breath test she passed later passed.
The video from the police cruiser shows Beatrice Catalano driving her Rolls Royce down the wrong side of Robert Grissom Parkway.
A Myrtle Beach officer stopped her and asked Catalano if she had been drinking. She said no and offered to take a breath test. The officer said he'd have to take her to jail for that and that he would rather give her a field sobriety test.
Catalano can be seen performing certain tasks at the police officer's request including walking a straight line, touching her head while she lifts a foot and counting. When Catalano said she was done with the test, the officer handcuffs her and puts her in the cruiser.
On the way to jail, she tells the officer about some weight loss pills they may find in her purse, but she said they have "nothing to do with tonight." She can be heard at several points on tape as saying she hadn't been drinking nor taking drugs.
Once at the Myrtle Beach jail, Catalano is booked and given a breath test which she blew a 0.0, according to the officer on tape.
When at jail, she tells the officer "it might have been the pill" that Catalano said she took that morning. She didn't specify what sort of pill it was, and the officer offered to give her a drug test at a hospital, but she declined.
"I don't want to. Because I don't do drugs."
Solicitor Greg Hembree said Friday his office is still in the fact-finding stage of its investigation, and no decision had been made yet on whether the case will go to trial, though Catalano has requested a jury trial should that happen.
To leave a comment, scroll down and click on "post a comment."
