Vikings WR Jordan Addison charged with misdemeanor DUI after July 12 arrest

Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison was recently charged with two misdemeanors in Los Angeles County after his July 12 arrest near Los Angeles International Airport on suspicion of drunken driving.

Addison was charged on July 31 with driving under the influence of alcohol, and driving with blood-alcohol content over California’s legal limit of .08 percent, after officers found him asleep behind the wheel of a white Rolls-Royce blocking lanes of a freeway near the airport. He has an Oct. 7 appearance in Los Angeles court to be arraigned and enter his plea for the charges. If he is convicted or pleads guilty, he could face up to six months in jail, pay fines up to $2,000 or lose his driver’s license for up to six months.

According to the NFL’s policy and program on substances of abuse, players face a three-game suspension for their first criminal offense regarding alcohol use, absent any aggravating circumstances that would lead to further discipline. Addison was cited for driving 140 mph on Interstate 94 in St. Paul last July, but was not charged with any alcohol- or drug-related offenses in that case, which could help him avoid harsher penalties related to his arrest last month.

Addison would not discuss details of his arrest at Vikings training camp on July 24, but said he would “own up to whatever disciplinary actions that come my way” as a result of the case. He said he would learn to make better decisions following the arrest, like calling for another driver if he is impaired in the future.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said on July 22 he was “disappointed” in Addison, adding he would talk about discipline and personal accountability with the receiver.

“You wrap your arms around these guys, and you ensure they know that we care,” O’Connell said. “But at the same time, they have to understand things that are [not] going to be acceptable by any stretch.”

Regarding any football-related punishment for Addison, O’Connell said the Vikings would let Addison’s legal case and the NFL’s disciplinary process play out, “and we’ll work off that accordingly.”