Fox Anchor Gregg Jarrett Arrested For Being ‘Drunk And Belligerent’
Weekend Fox News anchor Gregg Jarrett was arrested this week in a midwest airport, reportedly for “drunk and belligerent” behavior.
While Gregg Jarrett doesn’t appear on primetime Fox programming, the anchor is co-anchor of the Saturday and Sunday show Fox’s America’s News HQ.
According to the local Star Tribune, the alleged incident occurred at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport on Wednesday afternoon.
The paper reports that a midday disturbance prompted the call, explaining:
“Jarrett, who is a weekend co-anchor on the FOX News Channel, was arrested about 12:30 p.m. at Northern Lights Grill in the main terminal, said Patrick Hogan, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission.. Police had been called about an intoxicated man at the grill. Officers reported Jarrett refused to follow orders and was arrested for obstruction of the legal process and taken to jail.”
Following the Fox anchor’s Wednesday arrest, he was booked into the Hennepin County Jail. Jarrett was held on a preliminary charge of obstructing the legal process by interfering with a peace officer, with bail set at $300.
Gregg Jarrett’s arrest follows a reported request by the anchor on May 14 for “personal time” off from his duties at the Fox News network.
Raw Story reports that Jarrett’s demeanor on television has been of concern to Fox viewers in recent weeks, adding that the anchor reportedly was seen slurring words and appearing less than coherent during a broadcast in April.
According to the site, shortly thereafter, Jarrett disappeared from the program:
“Fox News viewers noticed Jarrett slurring his words and behaving strangely during an April 12 broadcast, and he left his shift early without explanation… The anchor is known for his claim that Trayvon Martin may have been violent because he had smoked marijuana, and he also suggested the teen’s killer, George Zimmerman, had been punished enough for the crime by his apparent weight gain.”
Jarrett’s developing situation has been cause for speculation on Twitter, where media users and viewers commented on the latest update to the Fox anchor’s story:
Guys, lay off Gregg Jarrett. Time off from work for “personal reasons” is the important part of that story.
— Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) May 22, 2014
Um from May 12: Weekend Changes at Fox News; Gregg Jarrett Taking Time Off for ‘Personal Reasons’ http://t.co/twBEpd8nIR via @tvnewser
— DanRiehl (@DanRiehl) May 22, 2014
@GreggJarrett Hi Gregg, It's Joy Powell, reporter for the Star Tribune. I'm writing a brief on your arrest. Could you call me, 612-673-7750?
— Joy D. Powell (@joystrib) May 22, 2014
Fox anchor Gregg Jarrett was released at around 1:30 am on the stated bail. Network reps have not yet commented on the incident.
