When the Seattle Seahawks signed Lofa Tatupu to a long-term extension on March 21, team president Tim Ruskell praised the Pro Bowl linebacker’s off-the-field record and leadership skills.
Less than a month later, Tatupu’s squeaky-clean reputation has taken a hit.
The 25-year-old linebacker and team leader was arrested early Saturday morning and cited for suspicion of driving under-the-influence after being pulled over near downtown Kirkland. According to a police report obtained by The Herald on Tuesday, Tatupu registered blood alcohol levels of .155 and .158 in breath samples taken after the arrest. The legal limit is .08.
On Tuesday afternoon, a few hours after the arrest was made public, Tatupu issued an apology.
“I want to apologize to my family, teammates, the Seahawks ownership and organization, and the fans for making a poor decision and putting myself in a bad situation,” Tatupu said in a statement released through the team’s public-relations department. “I take seriously my role as a leader on this team, and in the community, and because of that I’m disappointed and embarrassed by the level of poor judgment I used last weekend.
“Thankfully, nobody was hurt. This will never happen again, and I hope through hard work on and off the field to begin earning your respect and trust again.”
According to the police report, Tatupu was pulled over at 2:11 a.m. Saturday in the drive-thru of a McDonald’s on 85th Ave. in Kirkland. The blue Hyundai Tatupu was driving had been exceeding 50 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone when a patrol car gave chase, according to the report.
Tatupu told the arresting officer that he was driving fast because one of the three passengers in his car had to go to the bathroom.
“I told Tatupu that his friend would not have been able to go (to the bathroom) in the drive-thru,” an officer identified as Sgt. T. Aksdal wrote in the report.
The arresting officer smelled a strong odor coming from the car, but Tatupu claimed that he had not had anything to drink, according to the report. Tatupu underwent several field sobriety tests but refused to take a breathalyzer on the scene. He was then handcuffed “without incident,” according to the report, and placed under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence.
At around 4 a.m., nearly two hours after he had been pulled over, Tatupu was given an oral sobriety test and registered blood-alcohol levels of .155 and .158. He was released from custody shortly thereafter.
Other than Tatupu’s statement, the Seahawks had no comment on the arrest. Ruskell has been vocal about his desire to rid the organization of off-the-field problems, and in recent years DUI arrests have played a part in the release of wide receiver Koren Robinson as well as the decision not to re-sign tight end Jerramy Stevens.
Unlike those two players, Tatupu had no public history of off-the-field problems prior to the weekend arrest. He was voted a team captain last season and remains one of the most popular players currently on the roster.
Tatupu signed a six-year, $42 million extension with the Seahawks in March. It marked the sixth-largest contract ever given to a Seahawks player.
He has been to the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons in the NFL, with 335 tackles, 6.5 sacks and eight interceptions during his career.
Tatupu’s arrest marks the second off-the-field incident by a Seahawks player in the past month. Defensive tackle Rocky Bernard was arrested on April 20 and charged with assault after an incident in downtown Seattle that involved the mother of his child. Bernard is scheduled to appear in court on June 2.
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