Carlton County Attorney Thom Pertler's 0.234 DUI arrest: The dashboard footage [VIDEO]

"You haven't exactly been cooperative with me today," the arresting officer told Pertler.

In July, Carlton County Attorney Thom Pertler was arrested for driving while three sheets to the wind -- his blood-alcohol level was 0.234, though he reportedly blew a surgical anesthesia-level 0.336 immediately after being pulled over. A nearly empty bottle of vodka was found in his vehicle.

Five weeks after he was arrested and charged with seven crimes, Pertler returned to work, much to the chagrin of other Carlton County employees who he didn't even bother to contact during the month following the July 17 incident. This week, the police dashboard-cam footage of his arrest has surfaced, and in short, it shows that Pertler was as drunk as we thought he was.

Here's a transcript of some of what the arresting officer had to say to Pertler after he was pulled over, followed by the raw footage.

Cop, to Pertler: You were all over the road! What's going on? [Sees bottle in car] What are you drinking?

Pertler: Nothing.

Cop: So what I smell-- what's that bottle right there? The empty bottle?... What's going on today that's got you in such a rush?

Pertler: [Silence]

Cop: Are you ignoring me? Well, I've asked you a bunch of questions and they're pretty simple ones, and you haven't answered them... I've got the feeling you're ignoring me. Is there a reason you're not answering me?

[Cop asks Pertler where he's headed] Cop: I'm just looking for a one word answer.

Pertler: Home.

Cop: Okay, where are you coming from?

Pertler: Duluth.

Cop: You just got to Duluth, you just entered the city of Duluth, okay, where are you coming from?...

[Later] Cop: How much have you had to drink today?

Pertler: Haven't.

Cop: Okay, why are you lying to me?

Pertler: I'm not.

[Pertler then megafails a field sobriety test]

Pertler's DUI arrest was his second alcohol-related embarrassment of 2012. He completed a treatment program at Hazelden in August and hasn't generated any headlines for out-of-court booze-fueled misadventures since then, so hopefully he really does have his alcohol problem under control. Because for better or worse, as an elected county official in the midst of a four-year term, it appears Carlton County residents are stuck with him until at least 2014.