Prosecutor, who was formerly an NBA cheerleader, was reduced to tears during DUI arrest, new video shows
Bryashia Atchison remains employed by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office after Edgewater police found her curled up beside her vehicle in March
Police bodycam footage captured the moment a former NBA cheerleader and pageant queen-turned-New Jersey prosecutor broke down beside her car after she was arrested for drunk driving earlier this year.
Bryashia Atchison, an assistant prosecutor in Essex County, was celebrating her 30th birthday on March 8 when police found her in a parking lot on River Road, Edgewater, passed out next to her vehicle after allegedly driving over a curb.
Officers from the Edgewater Police Department reported to the scene at about 8.16 p.m. and said they quickly realized Atchison was under the influence.
Police bodycam footage released by the YouTube channel Transparency Bodycam last week reveals the moment Atchison was arrested for driving while intoxicated.
In the clip, Atchison, a former cheerleader for the Cleveland Cavaliers and 2015’s Miss Greater Cleveland, told the police officers that she had been drinking at a bar in Edgewater.
When questioned by police, the woman appeared surprised that she was still in Edgewater and not in Newark.
“I just want to get home. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I was this drunk,” Atchison said with tears rolling down her face.
Patrolman Evan Bringas told the woman that she had disclosed an “alarming” detail.
“You kind of told me something just now that’s a little alarming, so I have to perform some tests on you,” the officer said. “You kind of just admitted to me that you were drunk.”
“I don't want to drive. I just... want to go home,” the prosecutor continued.
“We're kind of... we're a little past that right now, unfortunately,” Bringas replied.
Atchison begged the police officers to allow her to call the father of her young son, with three sources identifying the man to the New Jersey Globe as NFL safety Jabrill Peppers.
Patrolman Tyler Iafelice interjected, “We're not doing anything to you.”
“Your car is on the curb, and you just admitted to us that you were drinking and driving, so we have to try to perform some tests on you,” he added.
Officers performed a Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test to assess Atchison’s impairment, ultimately determining she had been driving while intoxicated before placing her under arrest.
After being placed in a patrol car, police said that Atchison vomited in the vehicle.
Atchison was released from custody and later issued a citation for operating a vehicle under the influence and refusing to submit a breathalyzer test, authorities said. She is scheduled to appear at Edgware Municipal Court on August 21, according to the clerk’s office.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office did not disclose Atchison’s arrest until Monday, four and a half months after her arrest.
A spokesperson told The Independent on Wednesday that Atchison self-reported the incident in March and remains in employment. The prosecutor’s office added that it is “monitoring the matter closely.”
“Appropriate adjustments have been made to her case assignments as warranted,” spokesperson Carmen Martin said.
The Independent has contacted the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Edgware Municipal Court clerk’s office for more information.