SHENANDOAH — On May 21, 2026, Elizabeth Kim, 40, was arrested by a Montgomery County Sheriff's Office deputy in Shenandoah, Texas. She was charged with interfering with public duties and resisting arrest following a traffic stop for failing to use a turn signal and having dim license plate lights.

Body camera footage shows the deputy issuing commands from behind his patrol vehicle. According to the arrest report, Kim was instructed 19 times to exit her vehicle before she complied. The report states she resisted being placed into the patrol vehicle after her arrest. Fleet camera video indicates the deputy activated emergency lights on Interstate 45, and Kim then activated her hazard lights and pulled over.

Kim stated she was driving to the gym when the incident occurred. Retired Houston police captain Greg Fremin reviewed the video and said, "Traffic stops are very, very unpredictable, but there was nothing that jumped out at me that showed there was an imminent threat or some type of potential threat from this traffic stop." Fremin added, "But I have to say she was scared." He continued, "I'm putting myself in her shoes. Why is this person asking me to come out of the car? It's dark. It's nighttime."

Mandatory training for Texas peace officers includes the Civilian Interaction Training Program, which reviews the Seven Step Violator Contact Method. The curriculum states officers should identify themselves and their agency, use a courteous greeting, and treat motorists with dignity and respect. It notes that most traffic stops are routine and that drivers are taught to remain in their vehicles with hands visible unless ordered out.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office referred a request for the deputy's personnel records to the Texas Attorney General's Office. A spokesperson stated that a formal complaint process was never initiated by Kim or anyone else regarding the May 21 incident. The spokesperson noted that under established constitutional and Texas law, an officer has the legal authority to command a driver to exit their vehicle for officer safety and investigative purposes.