Vikings defensive back Jayron Kearse was pulled over while driving drunk and had in the car with him a semiautomatic handgun loaded with more than two dozen rounds and a teammate among his two passengers, according to charges filed Tuesday.
Kearse, 25, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with carrying a gun without a permit, a gross misdemeanor, and four misdemeanor counts: possessing a gun while under the influence of alcohol, two counts of drunken driving and careless driving in connection with him being stopped on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis over the weekend after a state trooper spotted him going around a construction barrier.
Kearse was arrested at the scene early Sunday and released from jail that afternoon after posting bond. On Monday, he told reporters that his arrest is "not a reflection of who I am as a person or what this organization stands for. ... I'm sorry for putting anybody in harm's way."
Also in the car with Kearse were two passengers, one of them teammate and fellow defensive back Mike Hughes, Patrol Lt. Gordon Shank said Tuesday. Hughes was intoxicated to the point of becoming ill during the traffic stop, according to the criminal complaint against Kearse.
According to the charges:
About 3:15 a.m. Sunday, a trooper posted near I-94 and Cedar Avenue to protect construction workers saw Kearse's eastbound Mercedes-Benz and two other vehicles enter the construction zone. He had all three pull over.
The trooper approached Kearse's vehicle and smelled "the very strong odor of alcohol coming from inside," the complaint read. Hughes and a 29-year-old woman from Minneapolis were with Kearse.
Kearse's eyes were "bloodshot and glossy," the complaint continued. Once out of his vehicle, Kearse appeared unsteady as he walked toward the trooper's squad car. He was given and failed a preliminary breath test at the scene, prompting his arrest.
