Report: Phoenix Suns’ P.J. Tucker arrested for ‘super extreme DUI’
By Phil Watson
According to a report, Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker was arrested in May for what was called “super extreme DUI” by police in Scottsdale, Ariz.
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AZCentral.com reported that Tucker’s blood alcohol content at the time of his arrest on May 10 was .201. However, a later blood test showed his BAC to be .222.
In Arizona, anything greater than .20 is considered to be a super extreme DUI.
It’s been a bad day for Arizona athletes and DUIs. Arizona Cardinals linebacker John Abraham was arrested in June for DUI in suburban Atlanta, according to a report.
The 29-year-old Tucker was arrested, according to police, driving his 2011 Mercedes slowly through a stop sign near a popular nightspot in downtown Scottsdale.
The police report said that while Tucker claimed to have only had one beer, he stumbled and nearly fell during a walk-and-turn test administered by the arresting officer.
A super extreme DUI charge calls for a minimum of 45 days in jail, a sentence that can be reduced by having an ignition interlock device installed on his vehicle and submitting to house arrest.
Tucker signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract with the Suns last week, with $12.7 million of it guaranteed.
A restricted free agent, Tucker had played for the NBA minimum each of the last two seasons, but emerged as a starter in 2013-14, averaging 9.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.7 minutes per game, shooting .431/.387/.776.
Tucker as a second-round pick of the Toronto Raptors in 2006 out of Texas but was waived in March 2007 and wound up playing five years abroad in Israel, Ukraine, Greece, Italy and Germany before returning to the NBA with the Suns in 2012.