Atlanta Falcons RB Michael Turner arrested for DUI

[September 19, 2012]  ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) -- Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner was jailed on charges of drunken driving and speeding early Tuesday, just hours after he scored a touchdown in the team's win over the Denver Broncos.

Turner, 30, of Suwanee, Ga., was booked into the Gwinnett County jail in metro Atlanta just after 5 a.m. Turner spent barely two hours behind bars before he was released on $2,179 bond, jail records showed.

A Gwinnett County police officer pulled over Turner's black Audi R8 on Interstate 85 northeast of Atlanta after clocking the car at 97 mph -- 32 mph over the speed limit, said Cpl. Edwin Ritter, a police spokesman.

"The officer made contact with the driver who identified himself as 30-year-old Michael Turner of the Atlanta Falcons," Ritter said in a news release. "The officer could smell an odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the driver and proceeded to conduct a DUI investigation."

Ritter said the officer arrested Turner after a field sobriety test. The police incident report was not immediately available.

Hours before his arrest, Turner and the Falcons celebrated a 27-21 home victory over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

"First and foremost, any time a player sheds negatively on our football team and on our organization, we are very disappointed," coach Mike Smith said. "This is a legal matter, and it's very well-defined how we have to proceed with it through the league, and we'll let this process run its course."

Tuesday was the players' day off, but Smith said he met in his office with Turner.

"He knows that we are disappointed in the decisions that he made after the ballgame last night," Smith said.

Smith declined to say whether Turner will be suspended when the Falcons (2-0) visit San Diego (2-0) on Sunday.

"There are certain parameters that are set in place by the collective bargaining agreement and the NFL and the NFLPA," Smith said. "Those guidelines will be followed in terms of what we can and cannot do.

"If there's going to be any internal discipline, that discipline will stay internally. That will be conversations that we have with Michael and the conversations that we've already had this morning."

Turner scored the Falcons' first touchdown against Denver after jumping over a pileup of Atlanta and Broncos linemen in the first quarter. It was Turner's 51st touchdown for the Falcons, a franchise record.

Turner, who played at Northern Illinois during his college career, joined the Falcons in 2008 after four seasons with the San Diego Chargers. Last year, he rushed for 1,340 yards and 11 touchdowns.

[Associated Press; By RUSS BYNUM]

Associated Press writer George Henry contributed to this report in Flowery Branch, Ga.

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