Fargo, ND- A simple traffic violation led to the arrest of Jon Sandusky, the son of former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, for suspicion of driving while intoxicated in North Dakota early Tuesday morning.
The Forum of Morehead-Fargo says that police Lt. Joel Vettel saw Jon Sandusky make an illegal turn at intersection at 1:50 a.m.
Officer Vettel pulled him over, and after conducting field sobriety tests he determined that Sandusky was intoxicated.
Sandusky, who is the director of personnel for the Cleveland Browns, would not tell the officer where he was earlier that evening, only saying that he was “just down the road.” Some suspect that he was in North Dakota on a recruiting assignment, though that cannot be confirmed. Witnesses said they saw a man wearing a Cleveland Browns Coat leaving the North Dakota State University football team room earlier Tuesday, according to the Forum.
An employee at the Cass County Jail confirmed that Sandusky posted bond Tuesday morning and was released.
In statement, Cleveland Browns spokesman Zak Gilbert said, “We’re aware of the situation and currently working to gather facts.”
It appears as though the NFL’s drinking problem is not exclusive to the players. Jon Sandusky is the third executive for the league to be arrested for DUI this year.
In July, two executives for the Denver Broncos were arrested for drunken driving over the Fourth of July weekend.
Denver Broncos director of player personnel Matt Russell was arrested for DUI on July 6th in Denver after he was involved in a minor accident with another motorist. Russell exchanged information with the driver and went about his way. Meanwhile the DUI tip line got a call about a drunken driver and as a patrol car parked along the roadway to catch the drunken driver, Russell slammed his SUV into the rear of the patrol car.
Russell, whose blood alcohol level was .246, was arrested and charged with DUI.
Just one day later, Tom Heckert, the Broncos’ director of pro personnel was arrested on June 11 in Parker, Colorado and had a blood alcohol level of .16. At the time both men were suspended from the team.
Rules of conduct in the NFL apply to players and executives alike, but teams tend to be more lenient towards the players. DUI arrests in the NFL have slowed this year; only 12 players have been arrested for DUI this year as opposed to 18 in 2012.
DUI arrests in the NFL are more frequent when compared to other professional athletic leagues. The NFL has taken some steps in an effort to curtail the problem, but fell short of approving tougher sanctions for players who are caught drinking and driving. Most players are suspended for a couple of games, but teams aren’t willing to lose valuable players for too many games.
While a DUI is serious, a DUI attorney can provide a defense that can prevent conviction and help the offender avoid jail.
