Body camera footage obtained by The California Post reveals an exchange between former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and a police officer during his arrest on July 23 in Wisconsin. Romo was pulled over on a Milwaukee interstate around 6 p.m. and expressed surprise at being stopped, telling the officer he was coming from a golf course and was on his way to visit his grandparents. He stated he had consumed “zero” drinks.
When instructed to exit the vehicle for field sobriety testing, Romo insisted on calling his attorney and began recording the encounter with his iPhone. After a verbal exchange, Romo exited the vehicle, questioning the officer, “Because I’m coming from a golf course you think I’m drunk?” The officer informed him he was being detained for operating while intoxicated (OWI) and placed him in handcuffs before taking him to the back of a squad car to conduct sobriety tests in a safer location.
An arrest report indicates Romo was booked on one count of OWI, first offense, for allegedly performing poorly on standardized field sobriety tests. Court records also show Romo was issued a citation for refusing to take a test for intoxication after his arrest.
A spokesperson for the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office stated that the case is being treated as a traffic violation, not a criminal charge. Romo has a court date scheduled for September 21 and has not yet publicly addressed the incident.
Romo played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2004 to 2016 before joining CBS as a broadcaster. He signed a 10-year, $180 million contract with the network in 2020. CBS has indicated no plans to remove Romo from broadcasting duties, although reports suggest he intends to take a step back from the spotlight following the arrest.