Jay Ratliff Blood-Alcohol Level Twice the Legal Limit: Cowboys Tackle Blew A 0.16
Jay Ratliff, the Dallas Cowboy player who was arrested last Monday night in Grapevine, Texas had a blood alcohol level that was over twice the legal limit, says the sheriff.
The player refused an immediate sobriety test last week after colliding with an 18-wheeler truck. He was arrested at the scene. Officials said Ratliff was aware that he had been involved in an accident but unsure of how it had occurred.
"He had no idea how the crash occurred, and so I would just leave it at that," Senior Police Officer Sam Shemwell said in an interview with NBC Dallas 5.
Police retrieved a search warrant and escorted Ratliff to a hospital, where he underwent a mandatory blood test. Exactly one week after the accident, authorities released the results of the test. It was revealed that the player's blood alcohol content was 0.16, twice the legal limit.
Ratliff was released Tuesday morning on $500 bail. The driver of the 18-wheeler did not sustain any injuries. Ratliff made minor complaints, but refused medical treatment.
The incident occurred 20 miles northwest of Dallas. Ratliff could face up to six months in prison, Shemwell told the Associated Press.
Ratliff played six games in 2012 due to injuries that included a sports hernia operation in December. The player was involved in a recent dispute with Cowboys owner and General Manager Jerry Jones. On Tuesday afternoon, Jones confirmed that the argument had been resolved.
"As far as I'm concerned, he is outstanding, he has given everything he's ever had to the Dallas Cowboys," Jones told ESPN Tuesday.
Ratliff told police that he had been "chilling with a homegirl" in Arlington, Texas and was on his way home before the accident occurred, according to an affidavit. Ratliff allegedly met with the Cowboy's owner the next day, but the team has yet to release an official statement regarding the player's arrest.