BOSTON (WHDH) - “I’m a state rep.”
Those were the first words out of State Representative John Lawn’s mouth when police approached his banged up SUV on July 16.
After identifying himself, Lawn gets out form behind the wheel, drops his license, and slurs his words.
“I’ll go back to my office. Take the car, take it. Whatever you got to do. That good?” Lawn said.
“”No you’re not free to leave yet,” the officer said.
7NEWS obtained the police body camera video of officers stopping Lawn outside the courthouse.
The video shows a witness telling police he followed the representative after seeing him hit a truck on a nearby street and take off.
An officer drives to the other scene to check out the damage.
The officer takes pieces ripped off of one of the vehicles from the crash site, then returns to see Lawn holding onto a street sign.
“You realize you hit another vehicle?” The officer asked Lawn.
“Yeah,” Lawn responds.
Video pulled form street cameras around the state house show Lawn’s SUV swerving in and out of lanes.
The damage to his own SUV is also visible from the police body cameras.
“We’re gonna do some tests to make sure you are okay to drive,” the officer told Lawn.
“I do… I do not want to drive…. I do not want to drive,” Lawn responded.
A state trooper asked Lawn to use only his eyes to follow the trooper’s finger and not move his head.
the trooper gauges Lawn’s balance as well.
The rep cooperates until the trooper brings over a portable breath test.
“I’ll call an Uber… I just want to go home,” Lawn said.
Since the incident, Lawn has admitted to driving under the influence.
“I deeply regret my actions the other night. I take full responsibility for them. I own it,” Lawn said.
At the time, Lawn’s refusal to take a breath test landed him in handcuffs.
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