Bucs' Boston arrested on DUI charges

PINELLAS PARK - Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver David Boston was arrested on DUI charges Thursday.

A passerby called police about 7:25 p.m. Thursday after the dark red Range Rover he was driving did not move when the light turned green at Park Boulevard and 49th Street N, said Capt. Sandy Forseth, the Pinellas Park police spokesman

Police arrived about a minute later to find Boston, 29, passed out behind the steering wheel. The SUV, which was in the southbound lanes of 49th, was running and in drive.

The first officer on the scene called in a traffic officer experienced in alcohol-related DUis and one of the department's certified drug recognition experts. DRE's are specially trained to recognize the indications that someone has taken drugs, Forseth said.

Officers had to "open the door and wake him up," Forseth said. They had Boston step out of the Range Rover and moved him out of the line of traffic.

"In Mr. Boston's case, his eyes were really indicating that something was going on there," Forseth said. "There's a fluttering, a bouncing of the eyeballs. They call it nystagmus. Mr. Boston's eyes were displaying a lot of nystagmus."

Forseth said he believed officers conducted four field sobriety tests. The results of those tests combined with their observations of Boston's eyeballs, speech and demeanor gave them reason to believe he was "impaired by some controlled substance or alcohol."

Officers took Boston into custody and tested him for alcohol to eliminate that as a possible reason for his alleged impairment. When the test was negative, officers took a urine sample to test for drugs. The results of those tests will not be available for several days, Forseth said.

Boston was charged with driving under the influence and released on his own recognisance.

Forseth said Boston made no incriminating statements. He did tell officers that he had left the practice field area in Orlando's Celebration and was headed to the Tampa International Airport where he had a hotel room for the night.

"When asked if he knew where he was, he had no idea," Forseth said. When officers told him he was ni Pinellas Park, Forseth said he responded, "Where is Pinellas Park? He thought he was somewhere in Hillsborough."

After officials receive the results of the urine test, a decision will be made whether to prosecute Boston and what charge he might ultimately face.

Boston has some history with illegal substances. According to the Miami Herald, he tested positive for marijuana and cocaine during a 2002 traffic stop.

In 2004, Boston was suspended for four games with the Miami Dolphins for violating the league’s steroid policy. At the time of his suspension, he had already suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Boston appealed, claiming he did not take an anabolic steroid, but it was denied. Later that month,  Boston was charged with simple assault in Burlington, Vt., and eventually pleaded no contest to striking a ticket agent at the airport.

The Cardinals first round draft choice in 1999, Boston’s best season was 2001 when he had 98 catches for 1,598 yards and eight touchdowns. He spent one season in San Diego, where he caught 70 passes for 880 yards and seven TDs but was dealt to Miami for a sixth-round pick because of run-ins with Marty Schottenheimer.

-- Casey Cora and Anne Lindberg, Times staff writers

Comments

[hockeyjoker]

one more recruit for the National Felon League

[Bob]

Ohhhh no!! This is the last thing the Bucs need. He said he was going from Celebration to TIA? They've been out of Orlando over a week now, and Pinellas Park is nowhere near Tampa airport. Also, no alcohol in the breath test sounds like he was doing something else. I really hope there's a good explanation, but this doesn't look good.

[deez]

Too bad he's charged with a misdemeanor you chode.

[meeks]

well if there wasnt any alcohol in his system i know what he is gonna test positive for, "AWESOMENESS" is what is flowing through Boston's veins!!! GO BUCS!!!

[Bob]

Thanks meeks, that was pretty good. I'm smiling again.

[John]

Wohoo! Gruden's tenure just keeps gettin' better and better!

[JamesD]

Sounds like the cops of PP are making their own laws up again. Could there be a chance that the man was exhausted? Not a chance around here with these cops just trying to keep those cottage industries churning cash for their political friends.

[Chris]

He was probably on GHB or had taken Xanax bars and blacked out; that's happeened to a friend of mine before.

[Anand]

Furnace why don't you tell the truth? You were whacked off on GHB and Xanax that one time you drove into the pool. Boston should have crashed on my couch. What an idiot!

[Anand]

Big Ups to the Bucs string!!! Vijay, Vivek, Adam, Jefe and Stephen!!! More stuff to talk about in our daily bucs emails! HOLLA!

[Tom]

What does Boston getting busted have anything to do with Gruden? When T.O. acts up, was that Parells fault? I agree with JamesD. I am not sure if there was any probable cause to arrest the guy. This case will be thrown out.

[Daniel]

Tom, The probable cause was he was asleep at the wheel of his car at 8:30PM with the car still running and in drive. Passing out with the car in drive is indicative of a problem. Most people who are sleepy would have the sense to shut off the engine or at least put the car in park. That is enough probable cause to give someone a field sobriety test. He didn't know where he was during the test, so they took him in and took a urine sample.

[BostonRules]

Wow. My world is shattered. NYBF was right.

[YouB]

Meth is a bad thing. How can you try to compete at a professional level and be so high at 7:30 that you don't know where you are.

[NYBucsFan]

Boston is a top notch WR. On the buccaneers.com message board, I can't say that because I have dug myself such a huge hole with stupid comments and hatred of him like the following. Look at my obsession with hoping he doesn't make the team:
http://bbs.buccaneers.com/showpost.php?p=2739151&postcount=24
and this CLASSIC!!!!
http://bbs.buccaneers.com/showthread.php?t=123377

Go Boston. I was wrong as usual.

[NYBucsFan]

Also note how absent I am from posting when the thread is positive about Boston. All I do is sit in my corner and stew.

http://bbs.buccaneers.com/showthread.php?t=145355

Note how I arrive immediately on the thread however the minute something negative happens to Boston. I am the #1 Boston hater. I am worthless and weak.

[rori]

what an idiot, he was going to be a starter, they should cut this bum tomorrow

[tunamanz]

Hey Boston.....How much did Con-Vick pay you to try and divert some attention from his case? Loser!

[Belinda Blease]

What a moron!!?!?!

[tunamanz]

Maybe the Police should look further into it. Maybe he was visiting the house that he purchased in Pinellas Park to host his Bad Newz Bostonz illegal dog fighting business???? You know that one that specializes in fighting Boston Terriers! It is OK though he never bets on the dogs!

[Mr.T]

Use the Pewter Report message board. The "conversation" there is much more informed, civil, and level-headed.

[JG]

He's human too!

[tunamanz]

He was coming from his interview with Nancy Alexander and Reginald Roundtree!

[Mista Barist]

Dear Tunamanz -

You are a grade A jacka$$...seriously. Terrible effort to be humorous.

Yours Truly,
Dexter Manley

[tunamanz]

I am not trying to be humorous......Now David Boston going to jail.....that is humorous!

[NYBucsFan]

I can't believe they are going to let him stay on the team and play on Friday. I'm wrong again. All my joy at his demise has been wasted and I once again look like a fool over on the buccaneers.com message board. Come visit and laugh at my idiocy: http://bbs.buccaneers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9

[cc]

Does anyone remember this guy was found with Cocaine in his system when he was with the Chargers. This was pretty much inevitable. I am surprised this article omitted that information.

[JamesD]

If any of you know anything about DUI's in this area. One of the glaring facts is. Officers do not fill out a report. They merely copy a templete. If Boston was parked in his car there is no way to change in the report that the car was in drive. The templetes are setup to make a defendent look as bad as possible. Judges will not read a report that is written outside the templete.

[Mista Barist]

David Boston going to jail is humorous? Gosh man, do you have some vendetta against this guy? Sounds to me like you've never excelled at anything worth a damn, thus you must bask in the failure of a gifted athlete. Do you even understand that what bask means? Probably not...

Tunamanz = Dumbski

[I Love Chuck...now put the gun down]

Obviously the cops are trying their best to sabotage and undermine Gruden. I mean, you can't DARE criticize His players or their missteps on the field for that is a sin against Pope Chucky, He Who Brought The Silver. Let us all bask in the glow of an upcoming 16-0 season and a cure for cancer.

Resume the chant: "all is well...all is well"

Oh, and buy Pewter Report before SR chimes in again. No conflict of interests in that magazine at all.

[Mr.T]

...Not sure who you're talking about, but, I will chime in. I don't subscribe to PR, but, I do think they are one of the best objective sources for Bucs news. I use their message boards and get a lot of valuable info as well as exchange ideas/info. I'm not sure SR has been here to post, but, if he did I'm sure it'd be well-informed and respectful.

You don't have to root for the Bucs. There are 31 other teams to root for. If you miss the old guard, you can find them easily, too.

[tunamanz]

Boston, a failure....yes, a gifted athlete....no! Dumbski....what are you 12, I mean 7!

[I love Chuck]

Sarcasm aside...

I'm not one of the guys who blames Gruden-Allen for everything. I'm not a McKay apologist and I am not rooting against G/A because to do so would be rooting for failure, and I want wins regardless of who is running the team.

I just don't like the current mood of many fans and posters on PR-Bucs.com and so forth who feel that any criticism of those men, even if justified, is an indictment against the football team. They take great offense when someone happens to call out the coach, yet they attack the dissenters with just as much vitriol. This is football, not modern politics. You CAN support your team without pledging unquestioned loyalty.

I do agree with SR that many of the papers are overly negative, but I don't want candyass coverage without the occasional questins or skepticism. That's where I wonder about Pewter Report. I am a subscriber and I think they do a fantastic job, but while I enjoy their access to the front office and coaching staff, I genuinely wonder if there is a conflict of interest. Their constant support of the front office does not prove such conflict, but I do wonder. Other than that, I enjoy their work immensely.

[NYBucsFan]

I'm getting angry over at buccanners.com. This guy is 100% guilty according to me. Anyone but Boston and we should wait and see what transpires. But if this guy is innocent of any charge, I will continue to look like a moron. It's easy being stupid.

[1BadBucFan]

hey NYBuc: nobody gives a squat about your inability to post on the subject of Boston ...

[Chris]

Gruden wants to stake his career by giving many athletes second and third chances, he has to take the consequences. Might be that this is one of those consequences.

[Floyd Thursby]

As long as Bruce and Jon continue to roll out the red carpet for slime buckets, we are going to have a slime bucket team. Cannot believe they would consider keeping this dirtbag. Thank heaven this crew of creeps will assist them in walking the plank outta here after yet another losing season. Dungy would have banned this 4 year stream of low class amoral crumbums from our county, Gruden kisses them on the lips.

[Adam]

Boy, Michael Clayton must have a horseshoe parked someplace uncomfortable. Just when it looks like he might lose his job, he gets it right back again.

[Mr.T]

Please guys/gals, keep it respectful between each other and remember it's a family board.

Also, that post at 3:27 is clearly not Stephen.

[BucsVA]

Look, Yes david has had issues in the past nad for all you david haters..he actually made the team last yr, and was cut becasue of Davin Joseph. There are issues with this whole thing and yes If there is drugs in his system he shouldpay the price like Miss Lohan. I am not sure if anyone has seen the article but ...here is a quote fromthe press release " A woman who identified herself as Boston's wife answered his telephone today. She said she hadn't heard about the arrest. When informed by a Tampa Tribune reporter, she said "Oh, really," and hung up the phone."

Sounds like david was out with the ladies....

Here is to a breakout season for Stovall, and no charges against Boston...if inocent HE WILL HELP THE TEAM.

[Paul]

It's going to be a good year for Buc's football, eh?

[deez nuts]

dis article is def. so def dat deez nuts are cool. sup?

David Boston was cut because of a rookie RG?

Ok

[BucsVA]

Yes he was cut becasue of the injury to DJ, becasue they needed to make room for another gaurd becasue Davin was slotted to start. As per bucs.com via grudens mouth. I heard that Gruden is also talking about bringing in more classy people: Lawrence Taylor , Bill Romo, and Marcus Vick, since his brother michael, wont be able to attend the pep rally.

[BucsVA]

Let all have a moment of silence for David Boston, he is having to explain to his wife that he actually wasnt at one buc place playing Madden 08 with the guys

[DR]

The Bucs just announced that Boston is the starter at WR after he passed Gruden's test. Gruden was quoted as saying he was worried about Boston because he wasn't arrested in a while and thought he was going to have to cut him because of that. Now Boston will fit in with the rest of his teammates when they jointly serve their community hours during each Saturday morning. It is also convenient for the probation officer who is soley dedicated to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[R. Minarich]

I've got to say that I'm tired of hearing of these stories. This guy is being made to look GUILTY. The media needs to take a break from airing these pieces, especially when they don't know the whole TRUTH.

http://tbo.com/video/xml/MGBMLUB3R5F.html heres a video fo the FST, he's defenitly not drunk, he can't keep his balance very well for a professional wide out.

its funny for some reason the cop sounds and looks a bit like jeff garcia to me hahahaah

[smarter than you]

that kind of memory loss and disorientation could only be the result of serious hallucinogens, and the results of the urinalysis will be quick.

however, it could be natural causes too.

this isn't our business to speculate until actual proof and charges are brought forth. for all we know he had a seizure.

[tunamanz]

Thanks for the video....what a loser!

I really want to know why the hell he is too injured to do a sobriety test but he is well enough to start in Miami???? Wake up Gruden/Bucs!

That video should definitely make the next episode of Athletes Gone Wild!

[Matthew]

WATCH THE FIELD SOBRIETY TEST; it looks like he passed; and he offers to take a breath test and blood test; we've got to wait and see the results of the urine test; my guess is that he will test negative for illegal drugs.

GO BUCKEYES AND BUCS

[Terry]

Sounds and looks (from the video) like Boston passed all the tests. The only thing that he looked guilty of is not wanting to do the ridiculous tests. Here's a link to a story that happened just down the road in Hillsborough that looks just like this story...pending the urine test.

http://colorado-dui.com/parts/Images/outrageous.pdf

[NYBucsFan]

It appears he is going to be cleared darn it all. I really look like a complete tool over at http://bbs.buccaneers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9 I could be the dumbest humanoid on the surface of this planet. Check out all the posts about how I am not even a fan of the bucs and that I hate David Boston. I am definately no judge of football talent. I'm a moron.

[robert]

Watch the arrest video. That cop was obviously abusive. I was waiting for the cop to have Boston juggle bowling pins, tap dance, and sing the national anthem backwards. Boston was guilty of DWB.

Pinellas Park only knows one type of black driver, the one that needs to be in jail. This cop is going to be in serious trouble once they clear Boston.

[Mike]

Some R-tard above said that Pinellas Park is nowhere near Tampa. Wrong. Think about this. you are driving on 275 south from I-4. You drive by the Airport exit, maybe you are on the phone or are tired. No exit until Pinellas county. Or let's say he was got on the Gandy bridge somehow, maybe he never drove the area. next think he knows, he is next to the Pinellas Park mall and pretty exhausted.