RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo told a sheriff’s deputy he was on his way to see his grandparents and had consumed “zero” drinks during a traffic stop in Milwaukee that led to his arrest last week.
Romo was booked on one count of allegedly operating while intoxicated and has a hearing set for September.
Newly released body camera videos, obtained by NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, provide new details about the July 23 interaction with deputies and field sobriety tests.
In one video, Romo, 46, in the driver’s seat when a deputy, identified only as R. Kaur, approached his SUV on the side of an elevated highway. Kaur told Romo she pulled him over for “unsafe passing on the right” and cutting across a marked area.
In the video, Romo appeared unaware for why he had been stopped. At times, he and the deputy struggled to hear one another as cars and trucks drove by.
Romo told the deputy he was coming from a golf course and was on his way to “meet grandma and grandpa.” When asked how many drinks he had, Romo responded he had consumed “zero.”
The deputy asked Romo if he was willing to take field sobriety tests, and he indicated he wanted to call his lawyer.
The deputy ordered Romo to step out of the vehicle several times, but he insisted he wanted to call his attorney. When the deputy said he couldn’t because it was an OWI investigation, Romo held his phone in a way that made it look like he was recording the interaction, and he again asked about calling his lawyer.
“Because I’m coming from a golf course, you think I’m drunk?” Romo asked after exiting his car.
The deputy then handcuffed him, explaining she was detaining him for possible OWI and taking him off the bridge to a level surface to perform field sobriety tests. The traffic stop video ended after Romo got into the deputy’s vehicle. They then drove to a nearby police station.
Another video showed Romo getting out of the squad car and Kaur explaining she thought he was impaired because of his “red, glassy eyes” and “the odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage from your breath.” The deputy also noted that deputies found “a few shooters,” slang for small containers of alcohol, in his bag.
“Any of them drank?” Romo asked. The deputy did not respond and directed him to begin the field sobriety tests.
Romo asked if he could “do exercises” first, saying the drive over while handcuffed aggravated previous back injuries, before stretching for around 20 seconds.
Before starting the tests, the deputy asked Romo if he had any recent head injuries or concussions. Romo smiled and briefly laughed, saying, “Over the years, yes, but not recently.”
For more than 12 minutes, Kaur led Romo through various tests, repeating the instructions multiple times as Romo interrupted. Romo was asked to follow a pen with his eyes, stand on one leg, and walk in a straight line while counting his steps. During that portion, Romo removed his sandals, placed his hands on his lower back, did more stretching exercises, and again mentioned his back surgeries to the deputies.
Eventually, the deputy stopped the tests and asked Romo if he would submit to a “PBT,” or a preliminary breath test.
“Oh no. We’re not doing that,” Romo responded. “I’ve heard from multiple lawyers, ‘Don’t ever do that.’ So, we’re not going to do that.”
Romo then asked, “Did I pass this test?”
The deputy told him he was under arrest, and he was placed back in handcuffs and returned to the back of the squad car.
A Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office report detailing the stop said Romo “performed poorly” on the standardized field sobriety tests but provided no additional details.
According to court records obtained by The Dallas Morning News , Romo received a citation on Monday for refusing to take a sobriety test.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office told the paper the case is considered a traffic violation and not a criminal charge. According to a 2018 Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau document , a first-time operating while intoxicated offense is considered a civil infraction.
A spokesperson for Romo has not responded to requests for comment.
A court appearance has been set for Sept. 21.
Romo played for the Cowboys from 2004 to 2016. Following the end of his NFL career, he joined CBS Sports as an NFL analyst.
This story originally appeared on NBCDFW.com .
Dallas Cowboys
NFL
Jul 24
Tony Romo arrested and booked on suspicion of impaired driving in Milwaukee
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