The Hollywood Reporter tells us that actor Wes Studi was arrested early Friday morning for aggravated DWI in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Celebrities getting arrested for driving while intoxicated is nothing shocking. Usually the presumption is that they were at some Hollywood mixer or other bacchanalian affair, had a couple of glasses of wine, then tried to drive home, having the misfortune of running in with John Q. Law along the way. A quick lawyer-up and some community service time later, it’s all forgiven.
But Studi’s case got a bit more bizarre in the re-telling.
Santa Fe police say that Studi was arrested at 1:00 a.m. on Friday. He was stopped at a stop sign. But he was in a black 2005 Volvo with the front two tires blown out. Studi could not explain why both front tired were blown in his car. Actually, Studi could not explain much of anything. According to police, Studi was not just a little over the limit, slightly tipsy. He was sloshed.
When the officer asked Studi to step out of the car, the report states that the 66-year-old actor “needed to use the vehicle to keep his balance and then stumbled to (the officer’s) patrol vehicle.”
The report further stated that Studi’s breath smelled of alcohol, that he was confused and combative, and that he could not tell officers where he was going or why his tires were blown out.
Studi refused breathalyzer and field sobriety tests. In many states, possession of a driver’s license gives law enforcement the presumption that you consent to those tests. Then reusing them is often cause for arrest. Stiudi was indeed arrested and placed on a $3,000 bond.
Wes Studi is a Native American actor famous for his roles in movies like Dances With Wolves, Last of the Mohicans, Avatar, Heat, Mystery Men, and Geronimo.
Back in April, Studi was inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Hall of Great Western Performers in Oklahoma City.