Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and CBS lead NFL game analyst Tony Romo’s OWI arrest on July 23 took a new turn after bodycam footage surfaced on July 29, as reported by WFAA. 

Romo was arrested under suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence (OWI) when he was traveling southbound on Interstate 43. According to the police records, he “performed poorly on SFSTs (standard field sobriety tests).” The footage from the scene comes with new updates.

“Romo, 46, was stopped by a Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputy Thursday on I-43 for “unsafe passing on the right” where he allegedly cut across a marked area,” according to Amanda Alvarado of News Channel 7 WJHG. “During the traffic stop, Romo told the deputy he was on his way to “meet grandma and grandpa” and had consumed “zero” drinks.”

According to Amanda Alvarado of News Channel 7 WJHG, Romo wanted to call his lawyer before he stepped out of the vehicle and explained he was heading to his grandparents’ house after playing a round at the Wisconsin Amateur Championship golf tournament.  

The police officer denied Romo’s request to call his lawyer, as she informed him that he is under investigation for “operating a vehicle while intoxicated.”

The deputy reportedly found an “open bottle of an a****** beverage” on the passenger side of Romo’s vehicle, according to Natasha Dye of People.com, based on the citations from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.

The officer stated that she suspected Romo to be intoxicated because of his “red, glassy eyes” and “the odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage from your breath", as reported by News Channel 7 WJHG

While he was taken to a nearby police station for further tests, Romo declined to take a PBT (preliminary breath test), though he cooperated with other field sobriety tests.

“Oh no, we’re not doing that,” Romo said, per WFAA bodycam footage. “I’ve already heard from all the lawyers, ‘Don’t ever do that.”

He was arrested after he failed the sobriety tests and was released after posting a bond, later that night on July 23.

While Romo's court date is set for September 21, a recent update from his current employer, CBS, stated that Romo's job is secure despite his OWI arrest.

CBS insiders reveal Tony Romo's job status after recent arrest

According to a report by Daily Mail, several CBS insiders and executives backed Romo, stating that they are not firing Romo because of the current incident.

“As for his job, he won’t be fired," a CBS insider said, according to a Daily Mail report on July 28. "While the incident is unquestionably serious, those around him view it as an isolated lapse in judgment rather than something that defines him.”

The insider also revealed that Romo is maintaining a low profile, while focusing on "getting himself ready" for the NFL season.

Romo withdrew from the 56th M&P Group Texas State Open golf tournament, scheduled for July 28 in Texas, after the arrest.

Read more at Dallas Cowboys Community.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar