Ex-MLB Star Johnny Damon Claims DUI Arrest Was Due to His Trump Support
Body-cam footage shows former Major League Baseball player Johnny Damon claiming that he was targeted by police in February for suspicion of DUI as a result of his support for former president Donald Trump.
The footage, which was released Tuesday, depicts Damon and his wife, Michelle Mangan-Damon, pointing out their "Blue Lives Matter" slogan on their license plate, with Damon saying, "Guys, we are all for cops."
Damon has been a longtime supporter of Trump, and appeared at an Orlando rally with him before Election Day in 2016, according to The Washington Post. Damon, an Orlando native, was pulled over in the early hours of Feb. 19 in Windermere, Fla.
At one point during the stop, Damon says, “I know people are trying to target me because I’m a Trump supporter.”
An officer replies, “I don’t think that has anything to do with it," to which Damon responds, "Yeah, it does."
Damon's blood alcohol content was reportedly .30, nearly four times the legal limit of .08. Damon agreed to a field sobriety test but stumbled during walking exercises and was unable to follow a red light with his eyes while keeping his head still.
Damon was charged with resisting an officer without violence and cited for driving under the influence of alcohol and running a stop sign. Mangan-Damon was also arrested and charged with battery on an officer and resisting with violence.
Damon played 18 years in MLB for seven different teams. A two-time All-Star, he won two World Series championships—with the Red Sox in 2004 and the Yankees in 2009. He last appeared in a game in 2012, finishing his career with 2,769 hits.