MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA — A Miami man who allegedly claimed to be a federal immigration official was arrested on August 13 by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office after being pulled over for drunk driving.
The arrest was captured on newly released body camera footage that shows the man racially profiling the arresting officer.
The driver was identified as Scott Thomas Deiseroth, 42.
He faces one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence (DUI) and two felony counts of reckless child endangerment, as his two young sons were in the back seat of the car.
Hostility and Racial Remarks
The body cam footage shows Deiseroth immediately reacting with hostility after being pulled over.
He claimed to be a federal agent with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and repeatedly demanded of the officer, “Are we really doing this right now?”
Deiseroth admitted to having had four drinks. The officer, smelling alcohol, asked Deiseroth to exit the vehicle to perform field sobriety tests.
During the tests, a second officer, who is Black, approached to ensure Deiseroth’s safety next to the busy highway.
Deiseroth then began to repeatedly question the second officer, asking, “Are you Haitian?”
The officer administering the test shut down the comments, stating, “it doesn’t matter” where the other officer was from, but Deiseroth insisted, “Yes it does.”
Arrest and Pending Charges
After failing the sobriety tests, Deiseroth was placed in handcuffs. He pleaded with officers not to take him to prison and demanded to see his children.
“Brother, I really do not want them to see you in the way you’re in right now,” the arresting officer replied. The children’s mother was contacted and arranged to pick up the boys at the police station.
Though the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office website had at one point listed Deiseroth’s occupation as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, his employment status could not be immediately confirmed. The criminal case against Deiseroth is pending.
Watch the video below:
