DUI

Erik Cowie, the former 'Tiger King' head zookeeper, might have gotten himself in more trouble after failing to appear for sentencing in his DUI case ... this according to law enforcement.

We’re told Cowie no-showed in court this week where he was scheduled to be sentenced after previously entering a guilty plea last month for driving under the influence.

Our sources say Cowie was likely looking at just a year probation, fines and fees and a potential alcohol education program for his sentence -- as is customary in Oklahoma for first-time DUI offenders -- but his no-show could change that.

The maximum sentence is up to a year in county jail ... and we're told that's back on the table. After Cowie failed to appear, the judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest and set his bond at $2,500.

Bonnie Somerville, famous for playing a detective on "NYPD Blue," had a run-in with real cops on the opposite coast ... police in L.A. say she was drunk behind the wheel.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops were getting calls around 10 PM Sunday night for a car stopped in traffic on the 405 near Inglewood, and when officers arrived, they say they found Bonnie pulled off on the right shoulder in a Mercedes-Benz.

Our sources say Bonnie told cops she simply ran out of gas, but officers say she reeked of booze and ended up bombing a field sobriety test.

We're told Bonnie, who played Det. Laura Murphy in the final season of "NYPD Blue," was cited for DUI and later released.

Erik Cowie, one of the "Tiger King" stars who you saw caring for the zoo's exotic animals, was driving drunk when he crashed into another car ... at least according to cops.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Cowie was busted for DUI in Oklahoma after cops say they responded to a two-car collision on an interstate highway.

We're told Cowie was driving one of the cars involved in the accident last month, and responding officers say he reeked of booze and bombed field sobriety tests.

Our sources say he admitted to having 2 beers before getting behind the wheel, and his blood alcohol content came in at 0.11.

Our sources also say, Cowie was put in handcuffs on the spot, and taken to jail where he was booked for driving under the influence. He's already entered a guilty plea and will be sentenced on May 25.

Officials have agreed to drop the DUI case against Johnny Damon stemming from a wild arrest back in February ... despite cops claiming the MLB star's blood alcohol content was nearly 4 TIMES the legal limit.

You remember the incident ... Damon and his wife, Michelle, were pulled over in Windermere, Florida around 1:23 AM on Feb. 19 and appeared to be super-duper hammered.

Police video shows Damon admitting to drinking before getting behind the wheel -- and cops say both Damon and his wife got physical with officers during the stop.

The police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, notes Damon's B.A.C. was .30 -- which is WAYYY above the .08 legal limit.

During the stop, Johnny -- who bombed field sobriety tests -- brought up his support for Donald Trump ... saying, "I know people are trying to target me because I'm a Trump supporter."

47-year-old Johnny was ultimately charged with misdemeanor DUI -- and was facing up to 9 months in jail if convicted.

But, despite what appeared to be overwhelming evidence, prosecutors are not trying to throw the book at Damon ... instead, offering him a pretty sweet deal that involves cutting a check and doing some community service.

We spoke with Damon's attorney, Stuart Hyman, who tells us Johnny agreed to enter into a pre-trial diversion program -- which involves making a donation to charity and completing a certain amount of hours of community service. He did not mention the number of hours Damon agreed to.

If Damon successfully completes the terms of the deal, Hyman says prosecutors have agreed to drop the case.

As for Damon's wife, Michelle Mangan-Damon -- her case is much more complicated.

She was charged with 2 felonies for allegedly battering officers on the scene -- and could face years in prison if convicted.

'Pioneer Woman' Ree Drummond's nephew, Caleb, was arrested for DUI just over a month after he was involved in a scary wreck that could've claimed his life ... TMZ has learned.

According to arrest records out of Osage County, OK ... the 21-year-old was booked for DUI early Saturday morning. No word on whether he's still in custody at this point, but Caleb posed for this mug shot on his way in ... there's no question it's Ree's flesh and blood.

The exact circumstances of his arrest haven't been released, but there are other charges he got rung up on ... including transporting an open container (beer) and carrying firearms while under the influence.

Caleb's arrest comes a little more than a month after he and his uncle -- Ree's husband, Ladd -- collided head-first in two different fire trucks they were both operating, respectively. The family was battling a raging fire on their Oklahoma ranch when the two rigs crashed.

We were told at the time Caleb wasn't wearing a seatbelt ... and he was flung from the vehicle, about 70 feet or so. He and his uncle were both hospitalized, but were eventually released and seem to have been on the mend.

Ree herself gave an encouraging update on March 15, saying that they were indeed injured, but "fixable" in an update post on her famous blog. She also posted photos of the actual fire rigs in question -- which are way older than modern-day trucks, BTW -- and it loos like the impact was immense.

Britt Reid -- Andy Reid's son and a former assistant on the Chiefs' coaching staff -- has been hit with a felony DWI charge stemming from his role in a violent Feb. car crash ... law enforcement announced Monday.

In court docs, prosecutors said they've officially levied a "Dwi - Serious Physical Injury" charge on the 35-year-old. If convicted, Britt faces up to 7 years behind bars.

As we previously reported, Britt was involved in a bad 3-car crash near Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City back on Feb. 4 -- just 3 days before K.C.'s appearance in Super Bowl LV.

Britt was accused of slamming his pickup truck into two cars that had pulled over on the side of the I-435 highway at around 9 p.m.

The collision caused serious injuries to a 5-year-old girl, Ariel Young, who was in a coma following the crash.

According to the girl's family, Ariel remains in the hospital and has been showing signs of improvement ... but "she still has a long road to recovery."

Investigators say Britt had told them he had taken Adderall and drank before getting behind the wheel. They added in court docs Britt did not perform well during field sobriety tests.

Britt had been placed on leave by the Chiefs following the accident ... but he's now no longer employed by the NFL team.

NFL star Melvin Gordon told cops several times before his October arrest that he had been drinking prior to getting behind the wheel ... new police video obtained by TMZ Sports shows.

The Broncos running back was pulled over in Denver late at night on Oct. 13 after cops say they clocked him doing 71 MPH in a 35 MPH zone.

In police footage of the ensuing stop ... you can see Gordon told a cop he had been driving fast because he was just miles from running out of gas.

Just seconds later, Gordon then admitted to an officer he had been drinking before driving.

The 27-year-old told the cop he had "a little bit" of alcohol ... but said he was not drunk.

When pressed by the officer about how much and what he drank, Gordon said he had "just one" drink of Pinot Grigio.

The officer then conducted field sobriety tests -- and you can see in the clip, it appeared Gordon could not walk in a straight line very well.

Cops then put the NFL player in cuffs and asked if he'd take a blood test to see if his blood alcohol content level was below the legal limit.

That's when Gordon admitted again that he had been drinking before getting behind the wheel.

"I've been drinking," Gordon said ... with one officer responding, "I know, I can tell."

Gordon continued, "I got some people that can drive me. I'm not going to lie to you. I play for the Broncos. Obviously, you probably know. And, I cannot risk getting in trouble. I live three minutes from here, probably four."

Gordon and the cop went back and forth over the tailback taking a blood test, with Melvin asking the cop repeatedly if the stop would hit the news.

"I'm scared to get in trouble, bruh," Gordon said. "I ain't going to lie to you, I'm in a f***ing position battle, bruh. I'm lowkey scared, bruh. Please, bruh."

According to police docs, Gordon ultimately did take the blood test ... and prosecutors later hit him with 2 charges of DUI and one count of speeding 25-39 MPH over the limit.

Gordon, though, pled guilty to reckless driving Wednesday, and prosecutors dismissed his two DUI charges.

Gordon was ordered to complete 12 hours of community service as well as pay $478.50 in fines.

Melvin Gordon pleaded guilty to a reckless driving charge Wednesday -- stemming from a DUI arrest back in October, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 27-year-old running back was initially arrested for drunk driving and speeding during an Oct. 13 incident in Denver.

But prosecutors have formally dropped the two DUI charges against Gordon, who ultimately pled guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving.

A rep for Gordon tells TMZ Sports the DUI charges were dropped due to "a lack of evidence."

A Denver County court official tells us Gordon appeared before a judge via a video conference call on Wednesday to close out the case.

Per the official, Gordon agreed to pay a $478.50 fine and to complete 12 hours of community service.

The Denver Broncos running back was facing jail time after investigators had initially said he was driving drunk and speeding late at night on Oct. 13, 2020.

In police documents, cops claimed Gordon was clocked doing 71 MPH in a 35 MPH zone ... and reeked of booze during ensuing questioning.

Cops also said Melvin had slurred speech, watery eyes and trouble maintaining his balance.

Johnny Damon got in a scuffle with cops, appeared to bomb field sobriety tests, and even brought up his Trump support during his arrest last month ... and the wild scene was all captured on police video obtained by TMZ Sports.

Damon and his wife were pulled over at around 1:23 a.m. on Feb. 19 in Windermere, Fla. after cops say he was swerving on the road and driving erratically.

Once a cop stopped Damon ... body cam footage captured the 47-year-old ex-Yankee and Red Sox outfielder admitting to drinking before getting behind the wheel.

Then, an intense standoff between the officer, the ex-MLB star and the baseball player's wife ensued.

In the video, you can see the officer ordered Damon and his wife, Michelle Mangan-Damon, to stay in the car, but neither complied ... and a pushing and shoving squabble broke out.

At one point, the officer grabbed Mangan-Damon's wrist ... before Johnny got involved to separate the two.

The bumping and pushing got so heated, the officer's body camera was actually knocked to the ground.

Fortunately for all parties, backup arrived, and officers were able to settle down the scene.

Damon and his wife repeatedly talked about their support for cops, mentioning over and over, "Blue lives matter."

And, at one point, Damon brought up his affinity for Trump to a cop, saying "Hey, bro, I'm a good f***ing guy. I know people are trying to target me because I'm a Trump supporter."

Damon was then asked to complete some field sobriety tests ... but you can see on the video, it doesn’t look like he exactly passed any of them with flying colors.

Damon was ultimately arrested and booked on multiple charges, including driving under the influence and resisting arrest without violence.

A police report later showed cops said Damon's blood-alcohol level was .30, nearly FOUR TIMES the legal limit.

Damon's wife was also arrested after the stop, and booked on charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence.

Court records show Damon pled not guilty to his DUI charge last month. He's due back in court in May.

Josh Jacobs has officially put his January car accident in Las Vegas behind him ... the NFL star's lawyers say he's no longer facing any legal drama after he paid a fine and completed community service.

The 23-year-old Raiders star running back was staring down big-time trouble after he crashed his 6-figure Acura NSX on Jan. 4 at around 4:42 AM near the Vegas airport.

Cops had initially arrested him and believed he was drunk behind the wheel before the wreck.

But, prosecutors say evidence showed his blood-alcohol level was below the legal limit ... and only hit him with a misdemeanor count of Duty of Driver to Decrease Speed Under Certain Circumstances over the incident.

Jacobs' attorneys told the Associated Press Josh closed out the case Monday by paying a $500 fine and mentoring at a Boys & Girls Club.

As for the injuries Josh suffered in the accident ... they appear to be going away as well -- the running back posted a picture of his face just a few weeks ago, and the gash on his forehead is clearly healing nicely.

Ex-NHL Todd Bertuzzi -- one of the most controversial hockey players of all time -- was arrested for drunk driving in Michigan over the weekend, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 46-year-old was pulled over just after midnight Saturday morning in Auburn Hills after motorists called 911 to report a car swerving all over the road.

Cops responded to the area and claim they saw Bertuzzi's car blow through a red light, so they stopped his vehicle immediately.

During the stop, officers believed he was under the influence of alcohol -- though Bertuzzi refused a breathalyzer test.

We're told he DID perform other field sobriety tests and showed obvious signs of impairment, according to our law enforcement sources.

The responding officers ultimately arrested the former Vancouver Canucks star and booked him at Oakland County Jail on suspicion of DUI.

We're told cops later got a warrant for a blood draw -- no word on the results yet.

Bertuzzi played close to 1,200 games in the NHL but he's perhaps best known for a violent incident on the ice where he sucker-punched an opposing player.

During a 2004 game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Colorado Avalanche, Bertuzzi skated up behind Steve Moore and punched him in the jaw and slammed his head into the ice.

Moore was knocked cold -- and was rushed to a hospital to be treated for 3 fractured vertebrae, cuts on his face and a concussion.

The incident ended Moore's pro hockey career. Bertuzzi was hit with criminal charges and ultimately plead guilty to assault in a plea deal.

Moore later sued Bertuzzi in civil court. The two sides reached a private settlement in 2014.

Bertuzzi was drafted by the NY Islanders in 1993 and played pro hockey until 2015.

A man in Oregon might now hold a dubious distinction -- the highest recorded blood alcohol content -- because cops say he was .77 during a DUI arrest.

The incident went down earlier this month a couple hours outside of Portland -- where cops say they were called about a hit-and-run. They tracked down a white Ford Explorer and after pulling it over ... "observed the driver to be HIGHLY intoxicated." The all-caps emphasis was made by the Warm Springs PD.

Cops say Nathan Danzuka fled in the Explorer and a short pursuit began until he crashed into a concrete barrier about half a mile from the initial stop.

When the dust settled ... cops say Danzuka's blood alcohol content was 0.77%, which is more than nine times the legal limit. Goes without saying ... his driver's license was suspended and he was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation and placed into custody. Cops say criminal charges are pending for the 28-year-old motorist.

Trick Daddy's taking a plea deal in his Miami bust for cocaine possession and driving under the influence, and now he's finally able to put the case behind him.

The District Attorney's Office tells us Trick cut a deal ... pleading guilty to possession of cocaine and getting credit for time served. In exchange, we're told the DUI charge was dropped.

We broke the story ... police bodycam footage from the rapper's January 2020 arrest showed a white powdery substance tucked away in a dollar bill. Cops also said he also bombed a field sobriety test, and the video shows him slurring his speech while playing the celeb card.

That didn't really help him, however there was only a trace amount of cocaine -- so he got a very low level, third-degree felony. The D.A. tells us he's not on probation, either ... the plea deal closes case.

Former MLB star Johnny Damon has a clear view of jail after his DUI arrest ... it sucks.

Damon was released Friday and told reporters on his way out of the police station, "Jail sucks, handcuffs are worse. Jail is horrible."

The former Red Sox player gave a rambling and confusing explanation of his arrest, intimating he was not drunk behind the wheel and, at the same time, apologizing for his conduct.

The 47-year-old was pulled over early Friday morning after cops allegedly saw his SUV swerving on the road in Windermere, Florida. Police say his speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet. They also say he admitted to drinking earlier in the evening. His wife allegedly was combative with cops.

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa says he's still incredibly embarrassed by his recent DUI arrest -- and says the criticism that ensued has been nothing short of "torturous."

There 76-year-old MLB legend was arrested for drunk driving in Phoenix, AZ back in February 2020 (after leaving a dinner with some L.A. Angels staffers during Spring Training).

Cops say La Russa wrecked his car during the incident ... and bloodwork showed he had a BAC of .095.

But, the news of Tony's arrest didn't break until November 9 -- 11 days after La Russa was hired to manage the Sox. And, many wondered if the Sox would cut ties with Tony as a result (they ultimately didn't).

Now, TLR is finally addressing the incident and the aftermath -- admitting to USA Today, "I made no excuses, it was an inexcusable mistake."

"It has cost as much embarrassment personally as possible. Anyone to think that this wasn’t something that had a very negative impact ... I mean, part of the embarrassment and negative feelings is the impact on the organization and the fans and the people that hired me."

La Russa later reached a deal in the criminal case -- he pled guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving -- but says the incident added more pressure to succeed in his new role with the Sox.

"There were already enough questions of me managing, and then this. It has been torturous."

There's more ... La Russa -- who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014 -- admits he was concerned about taking the Sox job because he wasn't sure if becoming an acting manager again would mean his plaque would be pulled out of Cooperstown.

"If this opportunity, as great as it is, cost me the Hall of Fame, I wouldn’t have taken it. The Hall of Fame is beyond everything else."

Sounds like Tony was worried that if he sucked as a manager this time around, the HOF wouldn't let him back in!

So, Tony says he called the HOF -- and officials assured him he would remain a Hall of Famer even if he took another active role with an MLB team.

Kansas City Chiefs linebackers coach Britt Reid has been suspended from the team ... as police investigate his involvement in a bad car accident that left a 5-year-old girl fighting for her life.

As we previously reported, cops say Reid admitted to consuming alcohol and Adderall before a bad 3-car crash around 9 PM Thursday night that left a child in critical condition.

The child's family members say the girl suffered major brain damage in the accident ... including swelling and internal bleeding. She has not woken up since the crash.

Reid -- who did not travel with the Chiefs to Super Bowl LV in Tampa this past weekend -- has officially been placed on administrative leave, the team announced Tuesday.

"We remain in the process of gathering information on the incident, and we will continue to assist local authorities as requested," the team said in a statement.

"Our focus remains on Ariel Young and her family. We have reached out to the family to offer our support and resources to them during this difficult time, and we will continue to pray for her recovery."