San Antonio police footage of officer’s encounter with Councilman Clayton Perry after a hit-and-run
By: San Antonio police have released the body camera video in the case involving District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry after a hit-and-run crash on Sunday night.
The video starts with Perry on the floor outside his home, with the responding officer asking Perry if he is alright.
“No, no,” Perry replied. “Man, I am like — shoot.”
The officer asks Perry if he needs an ambulance, and Perry refuses.
“Do you realize your Jeep is still running?” the officer asked Perry.
“Oh shit,” Perry replied.
The SAPD officer then asks Perry to confirm his name and asks if he realized he was in a motor vehicle accident.
Perry continued to refuse any help, and the officer asked him if he was able to sit up.
The councilman continues to repeat the words, “Oh, shoot.”
Once Perry sits up on the ground, the officer asks him for his ID and asks if he has a driver’s license. Perry answered no to both questions.
The officer then told Perry his description matched the one given by witnesses at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q.
The officer continued by telling Perry his reactions to the questions made him believe that Perry was driving the vehicle, which was still turned on.
“If you don’t have a driver’s license, why are you driving?” the officer asked.
“Oh shoot,” Perry responded.
The officer then tells Perry it appears he was driving intoxicated, which Perry denies.
Perry was then asked to stand up before responding no to the officer. He then tells the officer he wasn’t drinking.
“I’m trying to get into my house,” Perry told the officer.
“Why is that so difficult?” the officer asked.
Perry then apologizes to the officer, before the officer asks him if he knows the time.
“I don’t even know what time it is,” Perry said.
The officer then asked Perry again if he was driving, and Perry again denied being the driver, to which the officer asked, “Who was driving?”
Perry takes a bit to respond to the officer’s answer and then says, “I’m back here, and I’m sorry.”
The officer questioned whether Perry knew what happened to the victims involved in the hit-and-run. “What?” Perry questioned.
EMS was then called to Perry’s home, and the officer started to ask him about his personal information.
Perry confirmed his name, but he couldn’t remember his phone number.
The officer then asked Perry if he could turn off Perry’s vehicle, which was still running during the encounter. Perry allows him to turn it off.
The officer said he found Perry’s wallet and asked if he could grab the councilman’s license.
Perry and the officer then move to the door of the home, and the officer asks Perry to sit down and continues trying to get more information.
“I just came home,” Perry said.
“From where?” the officer questioned.
“Yeah, I was -- OK,” Perry replied.
The officer asked Perry if he was just avoiding questions or if he was confused.
“I’m just -- had a good time,” Perry said.
“Where?” the officer asks again.
“From — from — well — from — well, just right down the road,” Perry replies.
The officer continues to ask where but Perry keeps replying that he was just right down the road.
“Where was I?” Perry then asks out loud. He repeats, “Where was I? Dang.”
He then continues telling the officer a few more times, “Well, I had a good time.”
The officer continues to probe to see if he can get an answer out of Perry.
“Who was driving your vehicle?” the officers asked again.
Perry continued to deny he was driving the vehicle. The officer asks him what kind of friend would just leave him on the ground.
“I was coming on home,” Perry replied.
“So who was driving?” the officer asks once again.
“Not me, but I was coming on home,” Perry repeated.
The councilman shakes his head and continues saying no, and then stops and says, “There’s a lot of acorns living here tonight.”
In a confused tone, the officer asks, “A lot of acorns living here tonight? That has nothing to do with my question, though.”
“No, not me,” Perry replied.
Perry continues to refuse to take blame for the hit-and-run. The officer then hands Perry back his license after the councilman refused medical treatment from EMS.
The officer told Perry he was going to list his vehicle in the crash report and he would be facing charges of failure to stop and provide information.
As things were wrapping up, Perry thanked the officer and extended his hand to shake it, which the officer refused.
The officer told Perry he wouldn’t leave until he saw Perry enter his home.
Perry searched his wallet, took out a credit card, and tried to open the door with it. The officer pointed out that no card reader is on the door and keys are needed to open it.
“There’s no card that’s going to open that door ... it’s just a standard lock. You need the key.”
Perry then tells the officer he cannot open the door. The officer responded, “Did the mystery driver run off with (the keys) too?”
The officer then asks Perry if he can search the vehicle for Perry’s keys. Perry refused his request.
“No, I’m good to go,” he said.
The officer said he was leaving Perry on his own and, before leaving, said, “Do not drive anymore tonight.”