A top Chicago Democrat mocked an Asian police officer's penis size after being arrested for driving under the influence and tried to pressure an emergency room doctor who treated her to not testify, a court heard.
Samantha Steele, 47, who represents Chicago's District 2 covering most of the North Side and northern suburbs, was charged with misdemeanor DUI after her November 2024 arrest. Her trial began Monday.
Bodycam video shown in a Richard J. Daley Center courtroom captured Steele refusing a field sobriety test and then being arrested after stepping out of her car, according to the Chicago Tribune.
She briefly changed her mind and claimed she would take the test, only to suddenly request an ambulance after complaining of a head injury.
Chicago Police Department officer Danny Wu told the court Steele had cried inside the ambulance and subsequently insulted him at the hospital.
'You have a small penis,' Steele told Wu, per his testimony.
The trial is expected to last two days. Steele did not address the court yesterday and the defense has delivered an opening statement so far.
Steele was first elected as commissioner for District 2 of the Cook County Board of Review, which has the power to decide on property tax appeals, in 2022.
Chicago Democrat Samantha Steele, the commissioner for District 2 of the Cook County Board of Review, told an Asian police officer that he had 'a small penis,' according to his testimony
Steele, 47, was initially arrested in November 2024 and charged with misdemeanor DUI. Her trial began on Monday
Yu's testimony confirmed what had already been noted in the initial police report following Steele's arrest.
However, the Democratic politician's insult regarding Yu's anatomy was not captured in the bodycam footage.
'At hospital I placed Steele under arrest for DUI and secured her into handcuffs which were double locked and checked for fit,' the report read.
In the report, Yu added: 'While I was reading warning [sic] to motorist Steele repeatedly said 'Is your penis that small.''
Before testimony began, Assistant State's Attorney Brian Boersma told Cook County Judge Donald Suriano that Steele's attorneys had contacted a physician from the emergency room Steele was taken to the night of her arrest to issue her a warning.
'If you testify, your testimony could lead to a malpractice suit,' the court heard.
Prosecutor Riley Mullen said Steele had 'made a choice' on the day of her arrest in 2024.
'A choice to drink and a choice to drive,' Mullen told the court.
Bodycam video captured the moment Steele was stopped by police officers but did not catch when she insulted the officer's anatomy at the hospital
In court, Chicago police officers testified that Steele 'looked like she was under the influence' and had 'red, bloodshot, glassy eyes'
All four Chicago Police Department officers called to testify on Monday pointed Steele out in the courtroom.
Sergeant Tewelde Tesfai said that the Illinois Democrat 'looked like she was under the influence.'
'She had red, bloodshot, glassy eyes,' Tesfai told the court.
Another officer, Ricardo Fernandez, said Steele seemed 'confused' and 'disoriented' when he arrived at the scene.
Video was played in court showing how Steele repeatedly shot down Fernandez, who is now retired, when he asked for her driver's license while cars whizzed by them on Ashland Avenue.
In the full bodycam footage, Steele was belligerent and attempted to use her position to bully the Chicago police officers.
At one point, an open bottle of wine was found by law enforcement on the floor of her car.
'I'm an elected official,' Steele said from inside her car, only to not respond when asked for her office.
After the officer requested her name, she stuck her hand out while inside the open–doored vehicle and said, 'I'm Sam.'
At a separate point, Steele, who twice used what the officers described as 'small wrists' to slip out of the cuffs, demanded, 'I don't want to be on the video.'
In April, Steele rejected that she was drunk during her arrest and said she had not insulted the Chicago police officer's anatomy
In April, Steele said she was 'absolutely not' drunk when asked about her arrest and legal case in an interview with NBC 5.
'I had a glass of wine and I wanted to keep the bottle,' she added. 'So I brought it with me. It's not against the law.'
She rejected having made a comment about the police officer's penis, claiming there was 'no evidence of that.'
'The language that he used is not the language that I would have used,' Steele said.
Steele is interested in running for Cook County assessor, according to the outlet.
She has appeared before members of the Cook County Democratic committee to ask for the party's endorsement, but said she would not run without their support.
She will reportedly make a decision about her political future in mid–July.
Though Steele is the incumbent commissioner for District 2 of the Cook County Board of Review, she lost her bid for re–election earlier this year.
In March, Steele was defeated by Elizabeth Nicholson in the District 2 Democratic primary.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Steele, her attorney John Fotopoulos and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office for comment on the trial.