Miami police body camera footage shows pop singer DaniLeigh trying to use her celebrity status to evade arrest.
Newly released body camera footage from her May 2023 DUI hit-and-run arrest shows her casual interaction with police when they asked her to get out of her car and assist with the investigation. DaniLeigh told police she couldn't be arrested because she was a celebrity. Authorities say she struck a teenager on a moped with her car, causing serious injuries including a lacerated kidney and a fractured spine. TMZ.
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – JUNE 1: (Editor's note: highest quality) In this handout image provided by the Miami-Dade Department of Corrections, Danielle Curiel (aka DaniLeigh) is seen in an arrest warrant photo after being arrested for DUI in Miami Beach, Fla. on June 1, 2023. (Photo provided by Miami-Dade Department of Corrections via Getty Images)
According to TMZ, the police report on the incident states that multiple witnesses saw DaniLeigh hit a boy on a motorized scooter and drag him for about a block before someone called police nearby.
Officers asked the singer to step out of the car and handcuffed her while they investigated.
“Please, I've never been handcuffed before,” she says in the video. “I'm a public figure, I can't get involved in a crime…”
DaniLeigh told police she was with Quavo and his security guard, who can be seen in the background of the video.
Police kept them away from DaniLeigh while she was being questioned.
In the video, the singer can be seen laughing and slurring her speech, seemingly oblivious to the seriousness of what is happening around her, as she claims she did not run anyone over with her car.
“Did anyone die?” she asked the police, to which the officer replied, “We don't know.”
DaniLeigh laughed as she retorted to the officer, “How can you not know if someone's dead?”
“This is a really serious matter. You're laughing here. Someone could be losing their life right now because of you,” the officer responded.
One of the officers finally checked her out and seemed surprised to find out that she was, in fact, a famous singer.
DaniLeigh seemed pleased when she realized this.
“Quavo was right there helping me out,” she said in the video.
ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 14: Singer DaniLeigh performs onstage during RenderHouse at Render ATL 2024 at The Eastern on June 14, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Officers later said her breathalyzer read 0.145 and 0.148 alcohol, nearly double the legal limit, according to TMZ.
Police footage later released showed a bird's-eye view of DaniLeigh punching her victim as sparks flew.
According to TMZ, she was eventually taken to jail and arrested on three felony charges: DUI, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury and DUI criminal damage. (RELATED: Report: Singer DaniLeigh arrested for drunk driving after allegedly hitting a moped rider)
She was convicted in February and given five years' probation.
