GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Norcross police arrested Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna after a traffic stop Friday morning.
Ozuna faces charges of driving under the influence and failure to maintain lane on Beaver Ruin Road.
The officer wrote the road has a speed limit of 35 mph and he estimated Ozuna’s car was traveling “well over this.” The officer wrote he had to “reach speeds of approximately 90 MPH to catch up to the vehicle.”
Channel 2′s Matt Johnson walked viewers through the body camera video of Ozuna’s arrest on Channel 2 Action News at 4 p.m.
Once Ozuna was pulled over, the officer said “the driver immediately stated, ‘Sorry, sorry, I’m Ozuna from the Braves.’
“I detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage from within the vehicle in addition to Mr. Ozuna exhibiting red/watery eyes. I informed Mr. Ozuna of the reason for the traffic stop to which he again apologized to me and produced an insurance card. I asked Mr. Ozuna what he was doing in Norcross, and he replied with ‘the party.’ I later found out Mr. Ozuna was on his way to a nearby after-hours night club,” the responding officer said in the report.
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On police body cam video, Ozuna said a lot to try and convince the officer he hasn’t been drinking much, but it didn’t help him avoid jail.
“What have you been drinking? Beer?” the officer asked Ozuna. “How many?”
“Three, four,” Ozuna said.
“If I’m drunk, I don’t drive,” Ozuna told the officer on the video.
Police put him through a field sobriety test but noted that the Braves player was confused at times.
“Am I going to go like this?” Ozuna asked the officer.
“OK, let me tell you the instructions one more time,” the officer said.
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Channel 2 Action News received the following statement from the Atlanta Braves:
“The Atlanta Braves are aware of Marcell Ozuna’s arrest this morning and are still gathering all the facts pertaining to the incident. Our organization takes these matters very seriously and (we) are obviously disappointed by the situation. As this is a legal matter, we will have no further comment until the process is complete.”
Channel 2′s Alison Mastrangelo talked to Ozuna who gave a brief statement from the locker room on Friday afternoon.
“I’m disappointed. I’ve disappointed my team and my family,” Ozuna said. “I don’t have anything to say, and that’s a legal matter.”
The DUI arrest is the latest legal trouble for the Braves outfielder.
In May 2021, Ozuna was accused of assaulting and strangling his estranged wife inside his Sandy Springs home. She told police that she and her husband were having an argument over infidelity before he choked her and threw her against a wall, according to court documents.
He was originally arrested on one felony charge of aggravated assault by strangulation, but prosecutors dropped the felony charge in July. Ozuna still faced misdemeanor charges of family violence, battery and simple assault.
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In September, Ozuna agreed to complete a state’s pre-trial diversion program, which allows offenders to complete requirements prior to a court date in exchange for their case being completely dismissed. Under the agreement, there was a list of conditions that Ozuna had to complete within six months, including a family violence intervention program.
Major League Baseball retroactively suspended the outfielder for 20 games without pay while he was on administrative leave during the investigation. Ozuna rejoined the team this season.
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