Reports: Records allege former UConn star James Bouknight found unconscious in car with gun prior to arrest

Additional details have emerged following the DUI arrest of former UConn men’s basketball star and current Charlotte Hornets guard James Bouknight on Sunday morning.

According to court records obtained by the Charlotte Observer, Bouknight was allegedly observed a little before 2 a.m. on Sunday “unconscious in his car in an uptown parking deck, hit two police vehicles, and had a gun.”

WSOC-TV reported that when Bouknight was found, his car was allegedly running and in drive and he was holding a Glock handgun. “Officers tried to wake up the Hornets player using a PA system, blasting airhorns and using light, but he didn’t wake up until an hour later,” records obtained by WSOC said, according to the report.

Court documents also alleged that Bouknight refused to comply with officers and was visibly confused, he was eating food inside the car before he then crashed into two police patrol vehicles. Bouknight allegedly told a paramedic at the scene that he had approximately four shots of tequila before driving home. A breathalyzer test later confirmed his blood alcohol content was a 0.14, according to WSOC.

Bouknight was arrested and charged with driving while impaired (DWI) and released on a $2,500 bond, jail records show. He was not charged for the gun since North Carolina does not require a permit to opelyn carry a weapon.

Public records requests by The Courant have not yet been answered.

Bouknight participated in Hornets practice the following day but did not speak with reporters.

“That’s this league. You know what I mean?” Hornets head coach Steve Clifford said when asked about Bouknight’s arrest being a distraction Monday. “I was told a long time ago that if you want to enjoy coaching, understand that a lot more things go wrong every day than go right. It’s just the kind of job that it is. It’s part of coaching at every level.”

The Hornets also released a statement about the arrest Monday, saying the organization is aware of the incident and in the process of gathering more information.

Bouknight also has charges pending from two other driving incidents in Mecklenberg County, according to the Charlotte Observer. He was ticketed for allegedly driving 92 mph in a 50 mph zone and was cited for speeding and reckless driving on Oct. 12. He was also ticketed in February for reckless driving and had charges dismissed in a third case. In the other two cases, his court date is set for December, the Observer reports.

The former UConn star was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 11 overall pick in 2021, becoming the first Husky selected in the first round since Shabazz Napier in 2014.

Bouknight was also arrested while at UConn in 2019, charged with evading responsibility and interfering with a police officer, among other charges, after allegedly fleeing the scene following a crash near the UConn campus.

An arrest warrant at the time stated that an officer who pulled Bouknight over “detected an odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from Bouknight.”

Bouknight fled the scene shortly after being asked for identification and later faced a series of charges that didn’t include driving under the influence.

In 31 games with the Hornets, he averaged 4.6 points, 0.8 assists and 1.7 rebounds in nearly 10 minutes per game. He averaged 22.4 minutes in five preseason contests this year with 5.4 points, 1.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game.

The Hornets opened their NBA regular season with a game against the San Antonio Spurs at 8 p.m. Wednesday.