J.J. Redick tried to avoid a checkpoint and was tagged by the fuzz.
Police set up a checkpoint at Lasalle and Kangaroo drives in Durham, when they say Redick, 21, made a U-turn to avoid the stop. Officers pulled him over at the Belmont apartment complex on McQueen Drive around 1 a.m.
The officer reported a strong smell of alcohol on Redick’s breath and described the former Duke player’s eyes as “very glassy” during the stop. Police charged Redic with driving under the influence and illegal use of highways.
Records indicate that Redick’s blood alcohol level was 0.11 when he was booked at the Durham County Jail early Tuesday. The legal limit for drivers in North Carolina is 0.08.
It’s interesting that Redick wasn’t pulled over for poor driving. Instead, he was pulled over for trying to avoid a DUI checkpoint. I’ve always found it strange that you can be charged with a DUI even if you are driving perfectly. Drunk driving isn’t cool, but there’s a fine line between being impaired and not being impaired.
This might raise character questions about Redick, but he got tagged for something millions of Americans (and most NBA GMs) have done at one time or another. Considering that his blood alcohol level was 0.11 (just off the old legal limit of 0.08) and not higher, I don’t think this will adversely affect his draft position. But to have a negative effect, all it takes is one GM – who would have otherwise drafted him – to pass on him.
