An off-duty Detroit police officer drove home after a late-night hit-and-run crash in Sterling Heights, then repeatedly asked for a union steward while officers investigated her for impaired driving, according to bodycam footage reviewed by the YouTube channel Metro Detroit PoliceCam.
The incident happened shortly before midnight on April 10, 2026, when Sterling Heights officers responded to a crash near 16 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue involving a blue Toyota Camry that had fled with heavy front-end damage.
Metro Detroit PoliceCam reported that the Camry had been traveling the wrong way before colliding with a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old, sending that vehicle into a fire hydrant. Police traced the Camry’s plate to its registered address and found the driver, later identified as Detroit Police Officer Yolanda Miree, sitting in the damaged car.
Officers Find Her Back At Home
When officers approached Miree, they immediately began asking what had happened to the front of her vehicle.
Miree initially told them somebody had hit her and said she had simply driven home because her son was there alone.
The officer asked where she had been and how the crash happened, but Miree quickly shifted away from answering questions and began repeatedly asking for her “union steward.”
Officers also noticed what they described as signs of intoxication.
According to Metro Detroit PoliceCam, those included the smell of alcohol, slurred speech and bloodshot, watery eyes, all considered alongside the damaged car and the report of a hit-and-run crash that had just occurred.
The footage shows that the officers did not immediately become aggressive with her. They continued asking basic questions, gave her time to remove jewelry before handcuffing her and repeatedly explained what they wanted her to do.
Miree Refuses Field Sobriety And Breath Testing
When one officer asked Miree how much she had consumed, she did not provide a clear answer.
He then asked whether she would perform field sobriety tests.
She refused to participate.
The officer next requested a preliminary breath test and explained that refusing one in Michigan could result in a civil infraction.
Miree again declined to cooperate and continued asking for her union representative.
Metro Detroit PoliceCam noted that officers do not need a completed field sobriety test or preliminary breath result to make an OWI arrest if they already have enough other evidence to establish probable cause.
In this case, police had the damaged vehicle, witness information about the crash, Miree’s apparent condition and the fact that the Camry had allegedly left the scene.
That combination was enough for officers to place her under arrest.
Search Warrant Leads To Forced Blood Draw
After Miree refused the preliminary testing, officers moved on to the evidential chemical breath test and explained the consequences of refusing that as well.
The officer repeatedly told her he needed a simple yes-or-no answer.
Instead, she continued asking for a union steward.
Police treated that as a refusal.
Metro Detroit PoliceCam said the officer then obtained a search warrant authorizing a blood draw and transported Miree to a hospital.
At the hospital, she again asked whether a union representative could be present.
The officer told her that the blood draw was going to happen under the authority of the warrant and that if she would not cooperate voluntarily, officers could restrain her while medical staff collected the sample.
Miree ultimately cooperated.
That exchange showed one of the central misunderstandings in the encounter: a police union steward can represent an officer in employment and disciplinary matters, but that does not give an off-duty officer the power to pause a criminal investigation until the union arrives.
Blood Test Comes Back At 0.240%
The blood test later showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.240%, according to Metro Detroit PoliceCam.
That is three times Michigan’s legal limit of 0.08%.
As a result, the original operating-while-intoxicated charge was enhanced to High BAC Operating While Intoxicated.
Miree was also charged with leaving the scene of an accident and received citations for refusing a preliminary breath test and failing to provide proof of insurance.
She was booked into the Macomb County Jail and received a $2,500 bond, which she later posted.
The fact that no serious injuries were reported is fortunate, especially considering the allegation that the Camry had been traveling the wrong way before the collision.
A crash involving a teenager, a fire hydrant and a vehicle leaving the scene could easily have ended much worse.
Detroit Police Put Her On Administrative Leave
Metro Detroit PoliceCam said the Detroit Police Department publicly responded after the arrest.
The department stated that the conduct involved was inconsistent with its core values and placed Miree on administrative leave while an internal investigation was conducted.
That response matters because police officers are not only subject to the same criminal laws as everyone else, but also to separate professional standards tied to their employment.
The footage is especially striking because Miree appeared familiar with police procedure and repeatedly focused on her rights as a union member.
But professional familiarity did not change what Sterling Heights officers had in front of them.
She was off duty, driving her own vehicle and being investigated as a criminal suspect.
Miree Later Pleads To Lesser Offense
The criminal case did not ultimately end with a conviction on the original High BAC OWI charge.
Metro Detroit PoliceCam reported that Miree later accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to Operating While Visibly Impaired, a lesser offense with reduced penalties and fewer driver’s-license restrictions.
The more serious original charges were dismissed as part of that agreement.
She is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 14, 2026.
The plea means the case has moved beyond the allegation stage as to the visibly impaired driving offense, although sentencing and the separate departmental process remain unfinished.
It also creates a notable contrast with the bodycam footage.
During the stop, Miree repeatedly tried to avoid answering questions or participating in testing, but investigators ultimately obtained a warrant and secured the evidence anyway.
A Minor Crash Investigation Became A Career Problem
What started as a late-night collision quickly became much more serious once police traced the fleeing Camry back to Miree’s home.
By then, officers were no longer dealing only with a damaged vehicle.
They were investigating a fellow law-enforcement officer for suspected drunk driving, leaving the scene of a crash and refusing requested testing.
Her repeated demands for a union steward did not stop the investigation, and the later blood result gave prosecutors strong evidence of heavy alcohol consumption.
The incident also became a professional problem for Miree once Detroit Police placed her on administrative leave.
For an officer who would normally understand how an OWI investigation works, the footage is a reminder that knowing the process does not create an exemption from it.
The legal case is now nearing sentencing, while the consequences for Miree’s police career may continue well beyond the courtroom.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.
