A Texas woman accused a state trooper of sexual assault during a DWI arrest earlier this week. The Texas Department of Public Safety says the video from the stop does not support the claim, and the woman’s attorney has since apologized.
DPS said that after 1:30 am on Sunday, a Texas Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu traveling south on Interstate 35 in Ellis County for a traffic violation. The agency said the driver, 37 year old Sherita of Grapevine, was arrested on a DWI charge and taken to the Ellis County Jail.
Through her legal team, Sherita alleged that the trooper offered to let her go in exchange for sexual favors and assaulted her after she refused. Those were allegations only.
DPS denied the claim, saying its dash camera video showed no evidence to support it, and released about two hours of body camera footage Tuesday night. The agency said the footage does not show the conduct that was alleged.
Attorney Lee Merritt said the evidence conflicts with the accounts given to his office. He said the trooper appeared to act professionally during the arrest and should be cleared of wrongdoing, and he apologized to the trooper and his family for any trouble the claims caused. “I take full responsibility for amplifying these claims to the point of national concern,” he said.
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