Minnesota Vikings backup safety Jayron Kearse was arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of driving while impaired, and during a search of the vehicle, police uncovered a loaded firearm.
According to the police report, a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol witnessed a Mercedes drive around a barricade onto a closed portion of Interstate 94. The trooper conducted a traffic stop and wrote in his report that he “observed signs of alcohol impairment.” A blood alcohol test revealed that Kearse had a BAC of 0.10, just above the 0.08 legal limit in Minnesota. He was booked into Hennepin County jail on suspicion of DUI and carrying a firearm without a permit.
The 25-year-old was released about eight hours later after posting $6,000 bond. The Vikings issued a statement saying that they were aware of the arrest and are currently in the process of gathering more information.
Extended Time Off Leads To Trouble
The Vikings played on Thursday, meaning they had a few extra days off before getting back into their normal groove to get ready for next week’s game. Kearse, who issued a statement about the incident, mentioned that head coach Mike Zimmer had warned the players to stay out of trouble over the weekend.
“It’s up to us to listen to that message and take it,” Kearse said.
Kearse went on to say that he knows he made a mistake and he wants to use it as a learning experience.
“It’s not a reflection of who I am; the people that know me know the type of guy I am,” Kearse said. “I just made a bad decision. … I’m shaken up after something like this comes out and you know it’s not exactly who you are.”
Kearse is in his fourth year with the Vikings, and he’s played in all eight games this season, starting two. He’s one of Minnesota’s top special teams players, as he was named captain of that unit at the start of the season.
“When that was given to me, it was a lot put on my shoulders, and obviously so far I haven’t handled it well with this decision,” Kearse said. “Having guys just coming into this league and they see me being a captain, so they expect a certain level of things from me.”
We’ll keep tabs on how his legal battle plays out regardless of whether or not he’s still on the team at the end of the week.
