“Really? He blew a 0.02. You think someone should be arrested for that?”
nbc
According to the statement, the officer saw Springsteen take one shot of tequila before getting on his motorcycle and starting the engine. The officer told Springsteen alcohol was prohibited at Sandy Hook, and then noticed a 750-milliliter Patron bottle was empty, the statement said. It’s unclear how full the bottle was when he began drinking from it.
Springsteen said he had taken two shots of tequila in the last 20 minutes and was planning to drive out of the park, the officer reported.
“Springsteen smelled strongly of alcohol coming off of his person and had glassy eyes,” the officer said.
He indicated four out of six clues for intoxication in an initial test and five out of eight in the walk-and-turn test, according to the statement.
The officer said Springsteen swayed back and forth as the officer checked his eyes and took 45 steps during the walking test instead of the 18 he was told to take.
Springsteen refused to provide a sample in the preliminary breath test, the statement said. By the time he took one, Springsteen blew a .02, a quarter of the legal limit in New Jersey, according to The New York Times, citing two people close to Springsteen. It’s not clear when he took the test.
Recommended
DATA GRAPHICS
Tracking coronavirus case surges in the United States
CORONAVIRUS
Covid-19 cases are surging around the country. See where the hot spots are.
The Asbury Park Press first reported Springsteen’s blood alcohol level. The newspaper also said fans offered him the tequila after he took pictures with them.
Springsteen faces charges of driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area in connection with the incident, according to National Park Service spokeswoman Brenda Ling.
Ling said Springsteen, famously a New Jersey native, was cooperative throughout the process.
News of the arrest came days after the debut of Springsteen’s first Super Bowl commercial. In the two-minute spot for Jeep, Springsteen says the country will again see unity and says “there’s hope on the road up ahead.”
A spokesperson for the Jeep brand said the Super Bowl commercial has been put on pause.
Fans have long praised Springsteen, 71, for his healthy lifestyle.
In his 2016 autobiography “Born to Run,” Springsteen said he avoided drugs and didn’t try alcohol until he was 22, partially because how he saw how drinking affected his father.
Elisha Fieldstadt
Elisha Fieldstadt is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.
Diana Dasrath
Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms.
by Taboola
Sponsored Stories
Cop saw him drinking and saw an empty bottle. The rest is formulaic, and I am guessing reads a lot like every other DWI arrest this officer has made. .02 is absurdly low. The fact is that drinking and then driving after is not (itself alone) illegal. The only offense here was drinking in a park. Big deal. Completely lame arrest. Liberal dummy that he is, this was never a big deal.