Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison has been charged with two misdemeanors and will be subject to at least a potential three-game NFL suspension — the news coming nearly a month after Addison’s arrest in Los Angeles on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI). The NFL’s policy on substance abuse dictates that players can be suspended three games for their first criminal offense regarding alcohol use, provided there aren’t other circumstances that would necessitate additional discipline.
Addison, 22, was found asleep at the wheel of his white Rolls Royce by a West Los Angeles police officer; the vehicle was blocking a lane of I-105 westbound near Los Angeles International Airport on July 12, and was cited at 11:36 p.m. PT. Addison was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with .08% blood alcohol content (per the Star Tribune.). If he is convicted or pleads guilty, Addison could face up to six months in jail, pay fines up to $2,000 or lose his driver’s license for up to six months. The wide receiver could also face an NFL suspension once the legal proceedings are complete. Regarding violations of the law involving alcohol, the league’s policy and program on substances of abuse reads: “Absent aggravating circumstances, discipline for a first offense will be a suspension without pay of three regular or postseason games.
Addison’s most arrest came almost exactly a year after he was cited for speeding and reckless driving at 140 miles per hour on a freeway in St Paul, Minnesota. He subsequently agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor speeding charge, with a charge of reckless driving dismissed, and paid $686 in fines.
Addison had told reporters at Vikings training camp that he had been in a “dark place” at the time of the incident, but added: “Whatever’s out there for me, whatever comes with it, I’ll own up to everything. I feel like anything that comes my way is meant to happen or is deserved .. I’m just going to keep learning. I’m saying that’s all I can do, is just learn from my mistakes and keep moving forward. That’s what it is.”
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