The Westminster Police Department released bodycam footage of a DUI stop that revealed three children hidden in a car trunk. Officers smelled alcohol, the driver declined roadside maneuvers and was handcuffed, then admitted the children were in the trunk. The children were unharmed despite freezing temperatures; several bottles of alcohol were recovered. The driver was arrested on multiple charges and Child Protective Services released the children to family after a welfare check.
Bodycam Captures Moment Officers Find Three Children Hidden in Car Trunk During DUI Stop
WPD officers discover children hiding in trunk of carThe Westminster Police Department Facebook
The Westminster Police Department in Colorado released body-worn camera footage showing a traffic stop that turned into a disturbing discovery: three children hidden in the trunk of a vehicle during a suspected DUI arrest.
The stop began when a Westminster traffic officer observed a car being driven erratically near City Center Drive and 93rd Avenue. When the officer approached the vehicle, he said he "immediately noticed the smell of alcohol." The driver's face is blurred in the released footage.
A police officer talks to the driver, whose face has been blurred out in the body cam videoThe Westminster Police Department Facebook
In the video the officer asks why the man thinks he was stopped and whether he had been drinking. The driver initially denied consuming alcohol and agreed to perform voluntary roadside maneuvers, but then declined. The officer then placed the driver in handcuffs.
Officer: "You're lucky you didn't hit somebody... Are you sure you didn’t drink any alcohol because I got a smell of alcohol coming from the vehicle right now?"
Once handcuffed, the driver admitted there were three children hidden in the trunk. Officers opened the trunk and found the children squeezed together in the rear compartment. According to WPD, the stop occurred during freezing temperatures, but the children were unharmed.
A police officer asks the man to do roadside maneuvers in this clipThe Westminster Police Department Facebook
Police recovered several bottles of alcohol from inside the vehicle. Child Protective Services was notified and the children were later released to family members after a welfare check.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, reckless driving, failure to provide valid insurance and three counts of child abuse, and was transported to Adams County Jail. The Westminster Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.
Why this matters: The footage highlights the dangers of impaired driving, especially when children are involved, and underscores the hazards officers face during routine traffic stops.
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