Colts punter McAfee held in public intoxication case
http://www.indystar.com/article/20101020...ation-case
Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee has been arrested on suspicion of public intoxication this morning after he reportedly took a predawn swim in the Central Canal in Broad Ripple.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called to the canal at Broad Ripple and College shortly before 5 a.m. after a report of a man swimming in the canal of the popular nightlife district.
A 911 call was received about 4:45 a.m. this morning from a woman who said a wet, shirtless man tried to get into her car at a traffic signal at Broad Ripple Avenue, according to WTHR (Channel 13). The woman said he had ââ¬Åblond, shaggy hair wearing jeans,ââ¬Â and that he ââ¬Ålooks like heââ¬â¢s freezing.ââ¬Â
ââ¬ÅI think heââ¬â¢s out of it,ââ¬Â the caller told the dispatcher.
Police later found McAfee, 23, in the area, shirtless and soaking wet, and arrested the second-year Colts player at the corner of Broad Ripple and College avenues, IMPD spokesman Lt. Jeff Duhamell said.
Police say McAfee smelled of alcohol, his eyes were watery and bloodshot and his speech slurred. When police asked McAfee if he had been swimming in the canal, he replied, ââ¬ÅIââ¬â¢m not sure,ââ¬Â according to an IMPD report. He later said, ââ¬Åit was raining,ââ¬Â and said his shirt was ââ¬Åin the water,ââ¬Â according to the report.
When asked how much he had to drink McAfee replied, ââ¬ÅA lot because I am drunk.ââ¬Â
McAfee asked if he could hail a cab or walk home but the officer told him there were no cabs that late and that it wasnââ¬â¢t safe for him to walk.
ââ¬ÅI know I am drunk but does that mean I cannot walk home?ââ¬Â McAfee asked, according to the report. Police also said the kicker had a hard time standing up.
Police say McAfee took a portable breathalyzer test and recorded a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 ââ¬â nearly twice the level to be considered legally intoxicated if driving.
Duhamell said McAfee might have been in the canal, which runs alongside Westfield Boulevard but no witnesses saw him in the water.
He said McAfee did not tell police he was a member of the Colts. They discovered it when they found his NFL identification after he was arrested. McAfee also had $171 in cash in his pockets.
"They took him in mostly for his own safety," Duhamell said. "He was cooperative but cold. It was 43 degrees or something like that."
McAfee was taken to the Adult Processing Center downtown, where he likely will appear in court at mid-afternoon and be released on his own recognizance, said Julio Fernandez, a Marion County Sheriffââ¬â¢s spokesman.
It usually takes about eight hours to be processed into jail. McAfee would have to wait until he sobered up before he could see the judge, Fernandez said.
Colts President Bill Polian issued the following statement:
ââ¬ÅWe are aware that Pat McAfee was arrested this morning and charged with public intoxication. We are in the process of gathering the relevant facts. 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.ââ¬Â
The 6-1, 220-pound McAfee played his college ball at West Virginia. He was drafted by the Colts in the 7th round in 2009.
He has appeared in all five games for the Colts this season, as well as 16 games last year and the post-season.
This season, McAfee had six touchbacks on kickoffs during the Sept. 26 Denver game, a club record for the most in a single game. During the Oct. 3 Jacksonville game, McAfee had a career-long 66-yard punt.
During the 2009 season, McAfee's 2,837 punt yards set a rookie franchise record, and his 64 punts ranked 2nd-most by a rookie in franchise history, according to Colts.com.
![[Image: 1qiqea.jpg]](http://i53.tinypic.com/1qiqea.jpg)
