Police say ex-NFL quarterback McNabb posts 'extreme DUI' in Arizona

[July 15, 2015]  By David Schwartz
 
 PHOENIX (Reuters) - Former National Football League quarterback Donovan McNabb's blood-alcohol content was twice the legal limit when he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Arizona last month, police said on Tuesday.

Police in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert said laboratory results showed the ex-Philadelphia Eagles star registered a 0.171 percent level, considered to be an "extreme DUI" under Arizona law.

The legal limit in the state is 0.08 percent and extreme DUI is 0.15 percent or greater, according to state statutes.

McNabb, a 13-year NFL veteran and six-time Pro Bowler, could not immediately be reached for comment on the test results.

Police said he was arrested on June 28 after rear-ending another vehicle stopped for a red light at an intersection in Gilbert.

Officers said McNabb was "impaired by alcohol" when he crashed into the vehicle at about 11:30 p.m. The accident caused no injuries.
 

In a video of the incident released by police, McNabb denies having consumed alcohol and tells the officer he was sick and was taking cough medicine.

The officer tells him that he smells alcohol on his breath and can be seen giving a cooperative McNabb a field test. During the incident, McNabb told the officer that he lives nearby and offers to walk home.

McNabb was arrested and booked at a holding facility before being released, police said.

This is the second time within less than two years that McNabb has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Arizona, having spent one day in jail stemming from his December 2013 arrest.

McNabb has been suspended indefinitely from his job as a Fox NFL game analyst in light of his recent drunken driving arrest, a network statement said.

"It is important that Donovan use this time as best he can to resolve his personal situation," the statement said.

McNabb spent 11 seasons with the Eagles after being drafted as the second overall pick of the 1999 NFL draft. He led the team to four consecutive NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. He also played for the Washington Redskins and the Minnesota Vikings before his retirement.

(Reporting by David Schwartz; Editing by Curtis Skinner and Eric Beech)

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