Police release footage of Woods failing roadside sobriety test
● Golf legend struggles to walk as he is barely able to keep eyes open
Po l i c e f o o t a g e s h ows T i g e r Woods struggling to walk as he is arrested by officers who found the golf star asleep at the wheel of his running Mercedes.
T h e 1 4 - t i m e m a j o r g o l f champion was apprehended for driving under the influence ( DUI) in Florida and blamed his state on an “unexp ected reaction” to a mix of prescription medicines.
Jupiter Police Depar tment h a s r e l e a s e d d a s h b o a r d fo otage of the former world number one failing to pass a sobriety test a short drive from his home.
Patrolling police found his 2 0 1 5 Merc e d e s AMG a t t h e side of the road with its engine r unni ng a nd t he i ndi c a t or s flashing in the early hours of Monday.
He is seen struggling to stay u p r i g h t a s h e f a i l s t o wa l k barefoot in a straight line on the road after getting out of the vehicle which had flat tyres and damage which police say was fresh.
The video also shows officers handcuffing the 41- yearold as he can barely keep his eyes open.
As an officer moves a light in front of his face during the test, he fails to follow it with his eyes.
When he is asked to recall his instructions after being asked to say the alphabet, he tells an officer they are “not to sing the national anthem backwards”.
Of f i c e r s d e s c r i b e d h i m a s being co- operative despite his confused state and as having “slow, mumbled and slurred” s p e e c h. Te s t s c o r r o b o r a t e d Woods’ claim that he did not have alcohol in his system and during the video he is seen to explain that the only drugs he has taken are those that he has been prescribed.
Woo ds , who i s r e c ove r i ng from back surgery, apologised and said he took “full responsibility” after spending nearly four hours in jail.
“I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications,” he said.
“I di dn’t r e al i s e t he mix of medications had affected me so strongly.”
He wil l a pp e ar i n c our t i n Palm Beach County on 5 July.
The video brings to life the troubling i mages contained in an incident report from the f o u r Ju p i t e r p o l i c e o f f i c e r s who were at the scene.
His sp eech i s slurred from h i s f i r s t wo r d s . W h e n t h e officer points out that Woods shoe is untied, Woods places his right foot on the front of the police car and starts to fiddle with the laces.
“I t ’s your other s ho e t hat’s u n t i e d ,” t h e o f f i c e r s ay s a s Woods unties the laces. “Now t hat one i s , t o o,” t he of f i c e r adds.
When Wo o ds i s unabl e t o t i e t h e l e f t s h o e , t h e o f f i c e r tells him he can take them off. Woods then tells the officer he does not remember what happened or being asleep in his car when police approached.
The field sobriety test was a failure from the start.
Woods struggled to simply put his feet together. When he did, he leaned for ward after losing his balance.
He c o u l d n o t f o l l ow a r e d light the officer moved from side to side.
W h e n a s k e d t o w a l k a straight line by going heel- toto e nine t i mes, Woods staggered from the star ting position.
He never connected heel- totoe. He often strayed outside the white line and occasionally lost his balance.
Woods could also not raise o n e l e g s i x i n c h e s o f f t h e ground.
On h i s t h i r d t r y a t u n d e r - standing the alphabet instructions, he made it from A to Z.
The next i nstruction f r om t h e o f f i c e r was t o p l a c e h i s hands behind his back as they c uf f e d hi m and t ol d hi m he was being arrested.
Woods, who had his four th back surgery in three years on 20 April, has not played since 2 Februar y in Dubai when he withdrew after the first round because of back spasms.
The surgery means he is out f or t he rest of the PGA Tour season.