A Metro Detroit principal picked up last month and charged under a "super drunk" ordinance might want to consider a second career -- as an escape artist.
Police video acquired by WXYZ-TV shows Kim Warren, the now-suspended principal of Deerfield Elementary School in Novi, Mich., nimbly maneuvering out of a set of handcuffs, while sitting in the back of a cop car, and politely offering them to a police officer.
"You can hold on to them. I'll get them back, when I open the door," replied the officer. "Just don't throw them out the window or anything."
Police arrested the 44-year-old principal on April 8, when she was suspected of being drunk on school grounds after returning from lunch and open intoxicants were reportedly found in her vehicle, according to the Oakland Press. Other drivers had contacted 9-11 after noticing the car moving in an unpredictable manner, the newspaper reports.
“This is an unfortunate set of circumstances and out of character for Ms. Warren. Up until this event Ms. Warren has served the Deerfield Community and our district well," Novi Superintendent Dr. Steve Matthews said in a statement released after the incident, cited by Novi Patch.
ABC News reports that Warren was formally charged in district court Monday with violating a Novi "super drunk" driving ordinance, which applies to drivers with a blood alcohol level above .17 percent. That's more than double the legal limit. Police breathalyzer tests indicated that Warren's blood alcohol content clocked in at .21 at the time, according to WXYZ.
Novi Police Chief David Molloy released the following statement to WXYZ-TV.
"In this case, as in several others we encounter, arrested subjects do maneuver their way out of the handcuffs," he said. "It's critical the officer properly checks the handcuffs to ensure something like this doesn't happen."
Warren has been suspended from her position as principal following the arrest. The Novi Community Schools board of education is expected to make a decision regarding her employment at a May 16 meeting, according to Novi Patch.
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