Police flip a coin to determine fate of hair stylist who was speeding to work
Two police officers have been placed on leave after flipping a coin to determine whether or not to arrest a speeding driver.
According to bodycam footage obtained Thursday by Atlanta local news station 11 Alive, which broke the story, two Roswell police officers in Georgia pulled over a woman named Sarah Webb who was driving to work at 85 miles per hour in a 45-mile zone, back in April.
“The ground’s wet, it’s been raining…on this type of a road. That’s reckless driving, ma’am,” Officer Courtney Brown tells Webb. “Instead of calling and saying you’re running late for work, you’d rather risk people’s lives.”
Webb tearfully responds, “I’m sorry.”
The officer then returns to her car and seeks advice from fellow officer Kristee Wilson. “What do you think?” says Wilson.
After admitting they didn’t have a speed detection device or tickets to issue the officers opened a coin flip app on a cell phone and agreed that heads would result in an arrest and tails, a release.
“A [arrest] head, R [release] tail,” says Wilson. After using the app, she adds, “This is tail, right?”
Brown responds, “Yeah. So release?”
Officer Wilson interjects with, “23,” which, per 11 Alive, is a numerical code for arrest, to which Brown answers, “Michael Jordan? Alright, so I’ve got too fast for conditions, reckless…”
Webb is handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car where she says, ‘Are you f***ing kidding me” and asks if she can pay a ticket in lieu of arrest, explaining that she had an important day of work ahead.
Webb and representatives from the Roswell Police Department did not return Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment.
“Wow, these people really put my freedom in the hands of a coin flip and that’s disgusting,” Webb told 11 Alive, adding, “It’s almost hard for me to believe.” She explained that her case was dismissed in court Monday after the prosecutor told her, “I have watched the video and I absolutely refuse to prosecute this case.”
The two officers have turned in their weapons and badges, and an internal affairs investigation is pending, per 11 Alive.
Webb’s mother Teresa, who did not return Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment, also posted the 11 Alive story on Facebook, writing, “I am sharing my daughter, Sarah Ashley Webb’s experience. I feel Roswell Police should be held accountable. It makes me so upset seeing her crying. It makes me so upset to know what they have done to her. Sarah could have lost her job and she could have lost her license. This caused a big financial hardship to our family. I am so very thankful to 11 Alive news for reaching out to Sarah.”
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