After he was pulled over, the arresting office said that there was the smell of alcohol on Turner's breath. The officer then arrested Turner after he participated in a field sobriety test.
The 30-year-old running back spent two hours in the Gwinett County Jail before being released on $2,179 bond. Turner ran the ball 17 times for 42 yards in Monday's game and scored the first touchdown for the Falcons.
The Falcons play the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday. The game is scheduled to kick off at 4:05 p.m. and will be broadcast on Fox.
The Atlanta Falcons are one of the most impressive teams in football this season, jumping out to a 2-0 record after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos. But the team's hot start has been clouded by the Tuesday morning arrest of Michael Turner.
The starting running back was arrested and charged with DUI just hours after the team's victory on Monday night.
"First and foremost, anytime a player sheds negatively on our football team and organization, we are very disappointed. This is a legal matter that it’s very well defined how we have to proceed with it through the League, and we’ll let the process run its course. I’ve spoken with Michael. We’ve had a conversation and like all conversations with my player’s I would like to keep those internal. He knows that we’re disappointed in the decisions that he made after the ballgame last night."
Whether Turner loses playing time in Week 3 remains to be seen. His production on the field hasn't done him any favors either. Through two games he has just 74 yards and is averaging 2.6 yards per carry.
Michael Turner's DUI arrest early Tuesday morning was the result of a traffic stop for excessive speeding on interstate 85. Turner was reportedly clocked at 97mph which was approximately 32 miles per hour over the speed limit for that stretch of highway. A Gwinnett county police spokesman described the arrest in a news release:
"The officer made contact with the driver who identified himself as 30-year-old Michael Turner of the Atlanta Falcons. The officer could smell an odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the driver and proceeded to conduct a DUI investigation."
The release also indicated that the arresting officer conducted a field sobriety test before arresting Turner. The Falcons released a statement on Tuesday acknowledging the situation but witholding any comment until they had time to gather more information.
The Atlanta Falcons released a statement following the arrest of their starting running back Michael Turner on Tuesday morning. Turner, just hours after helping lead the Falcons to a 27-21 win against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding.
He was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail and released on a $2,179 bond, according to reports.
Here is what the Falcons had to say about the situation:
Falcons statement: "We are aware of the situation involving Michael and are in the process of gathering more information."
