A Texas police department has gone viral after footage emerged showing police officers handing out alcohol as part of a controversial 'sobriety test party.'
Dallas TikToker Semiya Williams shared a clip of the event, where officers served alcohol to city residents who participated in mock sobriety tests for training officers.
The five-hour training exercise for new officers saw participants drinking measured alcohol to see how much each drink would affect them.
'Do not drink and drive. The whole time I was here I could not believe that what they had us doing was legal,' said the content creator, who goes by @janaysway.
'The local Sheriff’s department basically brings you in and gets you drunk and makes you do a field sobriety test. So watch this.'
Dallas TikToker Semiya Williams shared a clip of the 'sobriety test party,' which shows officers serving alcohol as part of a training exercise
Semiya, who said she wasn't able to consume as much alcohol as she used to because she had been losing weight, had a final alcohol blood level of 0.77
@janayswayBaby the sheriff’s department can have this experiment back! I’m such a lightweight now 😭 #dui #sobrietytest #dallassheriff #socialexperiment #drunkaf #drunktok
♬ original sound - Semiya JanayThe clip begins with participants introducing themselves and saying how much alcohol their first drink has - measured in milliliters.
Semiya said participants signed consent forms before the event that asked their weight and whether 'they wanted to be a heavy or a light drinker.'
During the event's first hour, participants had to have two drinks, and were told not to eat beforehand.
'I felt like they was low-key bullying us because they would call you out if you were not drinking your drink,' Semiya said.
Once they had their first drink, they were allowed to dig in on the snacks prepared for them, including chips with spreads, deli meats and cheeses.
After her second drink, Samiya admitted she was 'already getting lit,' adding that following two drinks, the group also started getting friendly and playing games like spades.
After they had eaten, participants were given a third drink, with some saying they were at a 12 on a drunk scale of 1 to 10.
Then it was time for the sobriety tests, overseen by the officers in training.
Some of the participants were seen struggling as they tried to walk in a straight line while others had their eyes inspected by officers.
One participant was even filmed being held up by the trainee officers so she wouldn't fall over.
The TikTok has gathered more than 9million views since it was posted on Friday.
Semiya, who said she wasn't able to consume as much alcohol as she used to because she had been losing weight, had a final alcohol blood level of 0.77 - just below the legal level for driving.
'Baby the sheriff’s department can have this experiment back! I’m such a lightweight now,' she said, adding that everyone involved either took Ubers or had a designated driver pick them up.
The video has received thousands of comments, with many praising the exercise and showing interest in participating in similar events.
One participant was even filmed being held up by the trainee officers so she wouldn't fall over
Some of the participants were seen struggling as they tried to walk in a straight line while others had their eyes inspected by officers
Participants cheers with Bud Light cups during the Texas police department's sobriety test party
One comment said: 'no because this is a really smart way to educate people and also build rapport with the community!'
Another added: 'All I heard was free drinks… where do I sign up!!!'
Others, however, were not so excited by the premise and said they were scared of participating.
'Baby ain’t no way in he** they would get me to do this. They got all ya’ll information,' read one comment.
'I wouldn’t even trust what they pouring,' read another.
While the 'sobriety test party' might sound strange, other police departments in the country have also held similar training events.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri asked for participants for a sobriety test training exercise back in January.
'The Sheriff’s Office is looking for alcohol drinkers, and we are buying! Seriously, we buy, you drink, and we provide your transportation home (not jail),' the department said on Facebook.
'The catch? After you drink, officers will be testing you on standardized field sobriety tests. Upon completion of your field sobriety tests, you will then submit a breath sample to determine your level of intoxication.
After receiving questions regarding the event, the Sheriff's officer hosting what they called a 'wet lab has been the standard for law enforcement certification for decades.'
They added: 'Typically, we run the wet lab in the evening and it’s easy for us to get volunteers from internal communication. With scheduling this time we needed day drinkers, which is more difficult to get.'
Back in 2019 the Kutztown Borough Police Department in Pennsylvania also went viral after taking to Facebook to ask for participants for sobriety test training.
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