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Tiger Woods’ Dashcam Video: Police Release Disturbing Footage From Golfer’s DUI Arrest

By Lawrence Arboleda
Published on: 22:32 PST, May 31, 2017

Florida police have released a dashcam video of Tiger Woods speaking incoherently and struggling to follow simple instructions while undergoing a field sobriety test on Monday.

The 14-time major champion was found by Jupiter, Florida officers asleep in his Mercedes, which was found parked on the side of the road with its engine still running, the Independent reports. The car has recently been damaged and its tires were flat. Woods was wearing a pair of shorts, a dark hat, and a light-colored shirt.

Asked to do a sobriety test in the middle of the road, Tiger Woods first put his right foot on the hood of the police car to tie his right shoe. When the officer saw the professional golfer struggling with the task, he told him that he can do the tests without wearing shoes.

The dashcam video shows Woods walking unsteadily towards the middle of the road to begin the tests. But it was already apparent from the beginning that Woods was bound for failure, as he was unable to move either foot in front of the other. The officer then asked Woods if he had been drinking, to which the golfer answered no. Asked if he had been taking any medications, Woods said yes. The officer asked him which ones, but Tiger’s response was barely audible on account of the dashcam video’s poor audio quality.

The dashcam footage showed the officer, torch in hand, asking Tiger Woods to follow the red light with his eyes. “You’re not even looking at the light,” the officer observed. Woods, however, told the officer that he was.

“I’m following the light,” Woods mumbled, his words barely coherent.

The officer then asked Woods to recite the alphabet, but the golfer didn’t seem to understand, saying they are “not allowed to sing the national anthem backwards.”

Twenty four minutes into the video, Tiger Woods, in full cooperation to the officer’s instructions, put his hands behind his back before he was handcuffed.

Alcohol not involved in Tiger Woods’ DUI arrest

The pro golfer, who was charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI), says alcohol was “not involved” in his arrest.

Woods says that his behavior before his arrest was the result of “an unexpected reaction” to prescription drugs.

“I understand the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions.”

“I want the public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications,” he said. “I didn’t realize the mix of medications had affected me so strongly.”

“I would like to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends and the fans. I expect more from myself
too,” he added.

Police records show that Tiger Woods was pulled over at about 03:00 local time (07:00 GMT) near his home in Jupiter and was taken into custody after failing a field sobriety test. Woods was reportedly released from Palm Beach County jail at 10:30 local time.

As previously reported by BBC, police records show he was released on”on his own recognizance” and promised to cooperate with future legal proceedings.

Not long after the DUI arrest, the police released a mugshot photo of Woods.

Tiger Woods’ mugshot which was taken after his DUI arrest. [Image by Handout/Getty Images]

The mugshot shows an unshaved, unkempt Tiger Woods, eyes appearing hollow. The photo came as a shock to the entire world, who saw the golfer as the sport’s golden child around the time he competed and won the Masters Tournament back in 1997. Woods went on to win more tournaments until his public image took a huge blow when news of his extramarital affairs broke in 2009. Before long, Woods issued a frank public apology and said he had been receiving professional help.

[Featured Image by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]

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