Tacoma Police bodycam footage shows 29th District House candidate Krista Perez refusing a field sobriety test after an Aug. 11 crash. The video, published Sept. 16, captures Perez telling officers she wanted to go home after her truck struck a parked car and set off a chain reaction that damaged four other vehicles in the 3700 block of South G Street.

Perez, 40, pleaded not guilty to a gross misdemeanor DUI charge with a refusal enhancement on Sept. 18 in Tacoma Municipal Court. She faces Democratic incumbent Rep. Melanie Morgan in the Nov. 3 general election.

The footage, first published by Seattle Red and later described in detail by The Olympian, shows an officer approaching Perez outside her pickup truck at 12:24 a.m. near Lincoln High School. Her steering wheel airbag had deployed.

When the officer asked whether she had been in an accident, Perez said she had not and said she did not remember crashing, according to The Olympian's account of the video. She told the officer she had been drinking at a friend's business on Tacoma Avenue South.

"I had a glass of wine," Perez told the officer during the Aug. 11 arrest, according to The Olympian's account of the footage.

Asked to rate her sobriety on a scale of zero to ten, with zero being sober, Perez answered "four." She then declined a field sobriety test, first saying she did not know what it was, then repeatedly asking to go home.

Court documents cited by The Olympian state the arresting officer found probable cause based on "the severity of the collision, the strong odor of alcohol, noticeable mood swings, confusion, admission to consuming alcohol, repetitive and slurred speech, red eyes, and unsteady gait."

After Perez was handcuffed and placed in the patrol car, she repeatedly said she did not understand what was happening and was read her Miranda rights. Seattle Red reported that the footage also shows Perez sobbing and praying in Spanish in the back of the car.

At Tacoma Police headquarters, Perez was given multiple chances to provide a breath sample. The breathalyzer timed out, resulting in a formal refusal, according to court records. She was then taken to a hospital for medical clearance.

The Tacoma City Attorney's Office charged Perez with one count of DUI, with an enhancement for refusing the breath test.

The court hearing

Judge Steve Krupa accepted Perez's not-guilty plea on Sept. 18 and found probable cause to support the charge. He ordered Perez not to consume or possess alcohol, cannabis or any illegal substance without a prescription. He also ordered her not to refuse future blood alcohol tests. Perez was released on her own recognizance.

Defense attorney Scott McGinty, who appeared with Perez at the arraignment, told the court the defense had not yet received the bodycam footage. "Somehow the media has gotten all the body cam footage already before the defense … it's a bit frustrating," McGinty said, according to the Washington State Standard.

Perez's campaign consultant, Ari Winter of Argo Strategies, told The Olympian that Perez "intends to address it with transparency and accountability" when appropriate.

What's at stake

Perez finished first in the Aug. 4 primary, defeating incumbent Morgan. The arrest came one week later. A first-time DUI in Washington is a gross misdemeanor and does not automatically disqualify a candidate from holding office, KOMO News reported.

Perez works as a strategic partnerships manager for the Washington State Department of Commerce, according to the Washington State Standard. She previously ran for Tacoma City Council but lost.

A pre-trial hearing is set for the morning of Oct. 30 in Tacoma Municipal Court.