Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office responds to accusations deputy let teen with 3.8 BAC go

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) responded to accusations that a deputy let a teen driver go despite her allegedly blowing a 3.8 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and giving her his number.

In a video circulating social media, an 18-year-old claims she was stopped for drunk driving by a deputy, blew a 3.8 BAC, was released with just a warning, and was given the deputy's number when he asked they should "meet for coffee or lunch." She goes on to claim she was getting lunch with him.

According to the American Addiction Centers, a BOC of more than 0.40 would result in possibly a coma or sudden death and is considered a lethal blood alcohol level.

The JCSO denies these claims and released the body-worn camera of the interaction.

According to the JCSO, Deputy Stahl stopped the teen at 4:41 a.m. Saturday for swerving. In the video, the teen denies drinking and claims she had just been "dumped" and begins to cry intermittently throughout the interaction.

The sheriff's office said that during that incident, the "teen did not slur her speech, nor did the deputy smell alcohol on her or witness any other physical signs of intoxication."

Because there was no evidence of alcohol in the vehicle, the deputy did not conduct any tests for DUI. After clearing her name for any warrants and verifying the vehicle's license plate, the deputy issued her a warning.

Before releasing her and in compliance with Colorado law, the sheriff's office says the deputy handed her a business card where he had written his name, badge number, and "South" for the South Precinct. He also wrote, "LNR Weaving" for Lecture and Release.

The sheriff's office said in a release, "We appreciate the public’s interest in ensuring our deputy acted appropriately and we assure you, he did."

Watch the body-worn camera footage of the incident released by the JCSO below: