Tony Romo OWI arrest video shows stop after Wisconsin golf event
Bodycam video obtained by TMZ shows Tony Romo telling police he was headed to see his grandparents before his OWI arrest.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Tony Romo’s OWI arrest in Wisconsin now has bodycam video attached, and TMZ reports the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback told police he was driving to visit his grandparents when he was stopped on July 23.
In footage obtained by TMZ, Romo tells an officer he had just left a golf tournament and was on his way to see his grandmother and grandfather. The stop happened in Wisconsin, where Romo had competed in the Wisconsin Amateur Championship, according to TMZ.
The video shows the officer later returning to Romo’s Jeep and asking him to get out for field sobriety tests, TMZ reported. Romo is seen repeatedly asking whether he can call his lawyer before stepping out of the vehicle.
According to TMZ, the officer tells Romo he cannot make the call at that point and orders him out of the Jeep. Romo then gets out and stands outside the vehicle before the sobriety exercises.
Why was Tony Romo arrested?
Police arrested Romo on suspicion of operating while intoxicated after officers said he did poorly on field sobriety tests, TMZ reported. OWI is the term used in some states, including Wisconsin, for driving or operating a vehicle while allegedly impaired.
The allegation remains a suspicion tied to the arrest, and TMZ did not report a conviction. No public response from Romo was included in TMZ’s report.
Court records cited by TMZ show Romo was also accused of refusing an intoxication test after he was arrested. That separate citation could affect his ability to drive.
TMZ reported that Romo has asked for a hearing to fight the refusal citation. Even with that challenge pending, the report said he could still face a one-year loss of his license.
What happened after the Wisconsin stop?
The arrest followed Romo’s appearance in the Wisconsin Amateur Championship, TMZ reported. Afterward, he withdrew from another golf tournament in Texas, an event TMZ said he has regularly taken part in over the years.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office was credited by TMZ as the agency tied to Romo’s mug shot. TMZ also published the bodycam footage from the stop.
Romo, best known for his years as quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, has remained a high-profile figure in football and golf circles since his playing career. The new video adds more detail to the traffic stop, but the court process around the OWI suspicion and the refusal citation is still the key legal piece now in motion.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.