The dash camera video of UT football player D.J. Monroe's Hays County DWI arrest is now public. This comes after the charge was changed to obstructing a highway, for which Monroe entered a guilty plea.
The video starts at 1 a.m. on November 15th. From Hays County Deputy Manuel Delarosa's front seat you can see a car swerving from lane to lane on southbound IH 35. Once stopped, Delarosa finds 20-year-old UT football player D.J. Monroe behind the wheel.
Delarosa: "So, you haven't had anything to drink tonight."
Monroe: "No sir."
Delarosa: "None whatsoever."
Monroe: "No sir."
The deputy conducts sobriety tests to which Monroe politely follows with a "yes sir." Yet, several times, Delarosa appears frustrated with Monroe's performance.
Delarosa: "I have said three times now, I need your feet together heel to heel toe to toe with your hands by your side."
The final command is for Monroe to put his hands behind his back. He is arrested for driving while intoxicated. At that point, Monroe tells the deputy a concussion may be to blame and admits he used alcohol and Tylenol P.M. to dull the pain.
Monroe: "I got a concussion during the game, during the Baylor game."
Delarosa: "What about the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from your breath?"
Monroe: "If anything, I had only a shot, if anything. That was it."
Later in the patrol car, Monroe repeatedly gets sick. He is taken to the Hays County Jail.
On December 18th, the Hays County district attorney’s office decided to trade that charge for an equal misdemeanor offense of obstructing a highway.
Assistant District Attorney Fred Weber released this statement to KVUE:
"Some defendants need to be removed from society and never see the light of day. Others simply made a poor decision in an isolated instance and more than likely will never go through the system again. Based on Mr. Monroe’s lack of criminal history and his expressions of remorse we felt he belonged in the latter category.
It is quite common for us (and other jurisdictions across the state) to resolve first offense DWI cases with this exact same plea agreement."
Monroe must report to a probation officer for the next year. He will have to submit to drug and alcohol testing, attend any substance abuse treatment ordered by the probation department, pay a fine and perform community service. If he violates his probation, he faces up to 180 days in jail.
On December 21st, UT Coach Mack Brown said in a press conference that Monroe is eligible to play in the national championship game against Alabama.
Monroe is a key member of the special teams. He had two kickoff returns for touchdowns this season, which is a school record.
