INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee was arrested for public intoxication Wednesday after police said he took a pre-dawn swim in a city canal and told them “I am drunk” as he tried to explain why he was sopping wet.
Police arrested McAfee about 5 a.m. in the Broad Ripple neighborhood, known for its nightlife. Officers say the 23-year-old, second-year player from West Virginia had a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 percent, nearly twice the legal limit for driving in Indiana.
He was released from custody just before noon, about six hours after his arrest.
McAfee is the fourth Colts player to be arrested on alcohol-related charges this year. Team president Bill Polian said in a statement that the team was aware of the latest incident.
“We are in the process of gathering the relevant facts,” Polian said. “When that task is complete, we will deal immediately with the issue of club discipline. Until we complete that process, we will have no further comment.”
Before the arrest, McAfee posted this on Twitter: “Bye week bye week bye week. Time to get some ish done. Happy Tuesday Party people.”
Police were called after a driver at a red light reported that a man with no shirt approached her car. The woman told police she feared the man was going to try to get in, so she ran the red light and called 911.
Officers asked McAfee if he had been swimming in the canal and he said “I am not sure,” according to a police report. They asked him how he got wet and he said it had been raining, then told officers that his shirt was “in the water.”
Police asked McAfee how much he had to drink.
“A lot cause I am drunk,” McAfee said, according to the report.
McAfee told police that he was waiting for a friend to get him, but also that he planned to take a taxi home, the report said. He asked if he could walk home, but officers arrested him. They say he smelled of alcohol, his eyes were watery and bloodshot and his speech slurred.
Officers said they had to help McAfee stand up after giving him a breath alcohol test.
While Indy has a bye week, they were scheduled to have regular practices Wednesday and Thursday. Coach Jim Caldwell was expected to speak with reporters later Wednesday.
In January, Colts receiver Taj Smith was stopped by police on suspicion of drunken driving. Smith spent last season on the Colts’ practice squad but was cut Sept. 4.
In August, backup defensive lineman John Gill was arrested for public intoxication after Indianapolis police found Gill passed out in a ditch. The charge was later dropped, but Polian said then that Gill would be placed in a roster category that would keep him inactive all season.
On Sept. 3, defensive tackle Fili Moala was arrested for driving while intoxicated, public intoxication and speeding.
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