Within months of being recognized in Tampa Magazine, shocking body cam footage of Karley Gerbensky during a police altercation surfaces.

The laws regarding the public release of body-cam footage vary by state. Arguably, Florida seems to make access to this content easy compared to many others, usually with just a simple written request. For example, the Sarasota PD website states that they make body cam footage available in the interest of “maximum transparency and accountability”, and provides a quick link to submit for the desired content. Body cam video was initially instituted as a way of protecting both parties (the arrester and the arrestee) from disputes on the specifics of what did or did not happen during the incident. Occasionally though, the video captures unbelievable behavior, in which case it’s almost guaranteed to circulate.

This is certainly true in the case of Karley Gerbensky, the owner of Blo Dry Bar in Tampa. The video of the incident alone was sensationally shared, and then even more so when it was discovered the woman in the video was recently named as a Woman to Watch by Tampa Magazine. 

The full body cam footage video is easily found now on various YouTube channels and on social media. It begins with Ms. Gerbensky being pulled over by officers for suspicion of drunk driving. One of the officers states she was trying to wildly evade them. From the initial interactions until the end, she can be heard struggling with her speech and frequently contradicting herself. Additionally, viewers comment that Ms. Gerbensky was hostile and belligerent while being questioned. 

The Tampa woman can be heard repeatedly telling officers that she was ‘a business owner’ and that she ‘had 30 employees,’ although the exact number seemed to change frequently. She was also very vocal about her earnings, vocalizing several times that she made “$700,000 a year.” At one point, an officer responds to this comment saying, “Good for you.”

The remainder of the video consists of her being visibly difficult during questioning, field sobriety tests, and eventually, the arrest process. The footage culminates in a bewildering display by Karley in the back of the cruiser, where she kicks, screams about air and hurls insults at the arresting officers. 

According to the Blo Dry Bar website, Karley is still listed as the owner, although she displays her last name with simply the letter ‘F,” likely alluding to her former married name, Karley Federer. Several Google reviews for the business appear to reference the now infamous video.

Court records show that Gerbensky ultimately pled guilty to the charges of DUI and resisting arrest. She also pled guilty to Battery on a LEO, but was accepted into a diversion program for that charge.