More details have been released regarding the arrest of former Major League Baseball outfielder Johnny Damon in Florida last week.
CBS Boston reports both Damon and his wife, Michelle were detained early Friday (February 19) morning and the former baseball player had a blood-alcohol level of 0.300, nearly four times the legal limit, according to police records.
Johnny Damon was charged with driving under the influence and resisting arrest without violence, while his wife was charged for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence.
Officers spotted Damon's SUV driving erratically just before 1:30 a.m. on Friday. Both of the vehicle's left tires were on the yellow line as it passed an officer monitoring traffic from the shoulder, and the vehicle drifted back and forth in the travel lane as it drove away from the area.
The officer said Damon missed the white stop line when he pulled up to a stop sign at an intersection and nearly hit a guardrail while making a turn, with the SUV's right tires off the road and on the grass shoulder after turning.
Damon and his wife immediately exited the SUV after being pulled over, leading to the officer giving orders to return to the vehicle. The former outfielder was said to be unsteady, slurred his speech, and smelled of alcohol during the traffic stop and said replied "...just a little bit" while making a small pinching motion with his fingers when asked how much he drank that evening, according to police.
Michelle ignored orders to stay in the vehicle while her husband was being interviewed by police officers and became violent with an officer as she tried to enter the driver's side of the vehicle. Johnny intervened, despite being told to stand back, and his wife was able to break free.
Both Damon and his wife were later put in handcuffs after other officers arrived at the scene.
Damon agreed to undergo field sobriety tests, telling officers multiple times that he could perform the tasks because he was "a big boy," according to police reports obtained by CBS Boston.
The former outfielder was unable to pass any of the tests and agreed to take breath tests at the Orange County DUI Testing Center a few hours after the initial traffic stop, despite his wife advising him not to.
Damon's first sample registered at 0.300 and his second was 0.294, far exceeding the state of Florida's legal limit of 0.08. The former baseball player received additional charges of resisting an officer without violence because he failed to obey commands at the scene and intervened in the struggle involving his wife and an officer.
Damon, an Orlando native, was held at the Orange County Corrections Department and released Friday, telling WKMG" jail sucks, handcuffs are worse" hours after his release.
Damon, best remembered for his role on the Boston Red Sox's 2004 World Series championship team and 2009 World Series championship team for the arch rivalNew York Yankees, played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball, which included stints with the Kansas City Royals (1995-2000), Oakland Athletics (2001), Red Sox (2002-05), Yankees (2006-09), Detroit Tigers (2010), Tampa Bay Rays (2011) and Cleveland Indians (2012.)
As a member of the Red Sox, Damon was a fan-favorite for his long, flowing hair and signature beard, as well as clutch playoff hits and diving catches at centerfield, which were instrumental during the franchise's 2004 World Series title run, ending an 86-year championship drought.
Damon later signed a four-year, $52 million contract with the rival Yankees in December 2005, where he cut his shoulder-length hair and beard in adherence with the team's strict dress code, although Damon later admitted he was planning on going back to a clean-cut look even if he didn't sign with New York, which he had up until his third season in Boston, but waited to prevent speculation.
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