Johnny Damon found himself behind bars in Florida on Friday after he was arrested for driving under the influence, but his wife was in even bigger trouble.
The former Yankees and Red Sox outfielder reportedly had a blood alcohol level between .294 and .300 — nearly four times the state limit of .08.
Damon, 47, was pulled over in Windermere, Fla., by police, who reportedly saw his SUV swerving at 1:23 a.m. When stopped, he was slurring and unsteady, TMZ reported. He admitted to drinking earlier in the night.
His wife, Michelle Mangan-Damon, 45, got out of the vehicle despite officers asking her to stay inside. She was “uncooperative, combative …. and pushed a police officer,” according to TMZ.
When an officer tried to handcuff her, Damon attempted to intervene, leading to a scuffle to cuff them both.
“I’m a good f–king guy,” Damon reportedly told the officer, saying he would perform a sobriety test because he is a “big boy.”
He was cuffed again while performing the last of four tests, and both he and Mangan-Damon were taken to the Orange County DUI Testing Center. Damon agreed to a breathalyzer — against his wife’s advice — and blew two samples: a .30 and a .294.
Damon, who said “jail’s horrible” upon being released later in the day, took a moment to speak to reporters waiting outside.
“I really can’t say much because it’s an ongoing thing, but I would never put myself, my loved ones or anybody in harm’s way getting behind a vechile,” Damon said when asked what he would tell fans. “I’m always accountable for my actions and we will see what happens soon.”
Mangan-Damon was booked for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence. Damon, an Orlando, Fla., native, was charged with DUI and resisting an officer without violence, according to police reports. That is a first-degree misdemeanor.
Damon when asked about his wife, did not go into detail, but said, “That’s something else I can’t talk about because she should not have been with me.”
Damon played 18 seasons in the big leagues, spending most of his career with the Royals, Red Sox and Yankees. He was a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, winning a title with the Yankees in 2009 and Red Sox in 2004.
Following his playing career, Damon stayed in the limelight somewhat by appearing on television as a contestant on Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2014 and as a participant in “Dancing with the Stars” in 2018.
Now he’s back in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
