Indianapolis Colts Owner Jim Irsay Arrested on DWI and Possession of Controlled Substances
The 54-year-old, outspoken, Twitter-loving owner was arrested around 3AM Monday morning in the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel, Indiana and has been booked on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and four counts of possession of a controlled substance, each a Class D Felony.
The Carmel Police Department issued a statement this morning in regards to the arrest which stated that Irsay was initially stopped by officers for "driving at a slow rate of speed, stopping in the roadway and failure to signal turn," and that during the stop he "subsequently failed several roadside field sobriety tests and was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated." (sic)
During the search of Irsay's vehicle, officers found "multiple prescription drugs...discovered in pill bottles. These Schedule IV prescription drugs were not associated with any prescription bottles found in the vehicle."
This is not Irsay's first issue with prescription drugs, having publicly admitted to a painkiller addiction in 2002 after undergoing several orthopedic procedures. An addiction he claimed to have overcome at the time.
Irsay was released from the Hamilton County Jail just after 12:30 Eastern time on a $22,500 bond.
The Colts released the following statement in regards to the incident (courtesy Pro Football Talk):
We are gathering information at this time regarding last night’s incident involving Jim Irsay. The team will issue additional statements when the facts are sorted and we are aware of the next steps to this process. Many fans have reached out to express their concern and we appreciate their support.
Since news broke of Irsay's arrest, stories have been reported that few inside the organization, and some close to it, were surprised by the events as many had been suspicious of his behavior for some time according to ESPN NFL Insider, Adam Schefter.
Irsay will appear in court next Wednesday, March 26th.
As a fan of the team, I certainly hope Mr. Irsay gets the help he needs if the rumors of substance abuse prove to be true.
[Source: Bleacher Report]