Cops: Drunk Georgia Lineman Fell Asleep Behind Wheel, Wouldn't Wake Up For 20 Minutes

Georgia defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter was arrested on DUI charges early Sunday morning in Athens, Georgia. According to police, Ledbetter was found sleeping behind the wheel of his car, and was so drunk that it took 20 minutes to wake him up.

According to a police report, four officers tried waking Ledbetter up by shouting at him and tapping on the window, and eventually turned on the siren in one of their cars. When that didn’t work, they used a “lock jock” to open the door and shake him awake.

Ledbetter was not in the most lucid state, according to the report. The :

“Yes sir, I’m home,” he said. Police told Ledbetter he wasn’t home. He told them he had been drinking downtown around 12-12:30 a.m. He said he had two Bud Light Platinum’s.

Police conducted a field sobriety test on Ledbetter and then asked him if he would be willing to take a breath test. He asked if he had passed the other.

“I explained to Mr. Ledbetter that I was asking him if he would submit to a breath test and that I needed a yes or no,” the report said. “He proceeded to explain that he knows what’s going on in the world now with cops shooting black people and he also said that he wanted to know if he passed the test or not so that he could take his boys home. There was no one in the car except for Mr. Ledbetter when I arrived on the scene. He also says he feels like this is a hate crime.”

Police say Ledbetter registered a BAC of .131 and .138 after taking two breathalyzer tests. Ledbetter, who is 18, released the following statement:

First I want to apologize to my family, my teammates and coaches, the University and the Bulldog Nation. I have a problem and have received an incredible amount of support and treatment through the Athletic Department for the problem. For that I am thankful. I ask for everyone’s support as I continue to receive additional treatment for this disease and work toward a healthy life.

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