Wrestler Jeff Hardy Arrested for DUI in Florida
Police in Florida arrested former WWE champion wrestler Jeff Hardy in Volusia County on Monday, June 13, on a felony driving under the influence (DUI) charge.
Dashcam footage shows police pursuing a swerving white Dodge Charger driven by 44-year-old Hardy, a former WWE champion and current All Elite Wrestling (AEW) wrestler, along a freeway in eastern Florida.
When the vehicle is stopped, three officers make verbal commands before drawing their weapons, the footage shows.
Hardy is removed from the vehicle and is heard admitting to police that he was drinking shots of Fireball whiskey before he got behind the wheel.
ESPN reported Hardy had a blood alcohol level between .291 and .294. The legal limit in Florida is 0.08.
According to court documents, it was his third arrest for DUI in the last 10 years.
Hardy was also charged with driving with a suspended, canceled, or revoked license, and violation of restrictions placed on a driver’s license.
He posted bail and was released later Monday, records show.
In a statement, AEW founder Tony Khan said Hardy was suspended without pay, and mandated his treatment and sobriety before he would be allowed to return.
“We’ve made it clear to Jeff that we’ll assist him in getting treatment for substance abuse issues, which he has indicated that he’s open to receiving,” Khan’s statement read. “In the interim, he is suspended without pay, and he can only return to AEW upon successfully completing treatment and maintaining his sobriety.” Credit: Florida Highway Patrol via Storyful
Video Transcript
- [INAUDIBLE] 10-28 in.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- [INAUDIBLE]
- [INAUDIBLE] behind you. [INAUDIBLE].
- Sirens.
[SIRENS BLARING]
- [INAUDIBLE]
- [INAUDIBLE]
- [INAUDIBLE] I-95 northbound just north of [INAUDIBLE] we received multiple calls on. I'm getting an update now. It looked like he was going to pull over. [INAUDIBLE] has the vehicle pulled over yet?
- 10-50. [INAUDIBLE].
- [INAUDIBLE] 10-50. [INAUDIBLE] 10-50.
- 22.
- [? 10-50. ?] [INAUDIBLE].
- 65 West.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- [INAUDIBLE]
- How you doing, bud? [INAUDIBLE]. OK. Well, [INAUDIBLE]. We're from the Highway Patrol.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- We got seven 911 calls on you. You know why we might have gotten some calls? You don't know? You tell me.
You were all over the road. What's going on with that? Well, actually, I'll tell you, you're going to have to get up here for me. Well, don't fall over.
Yeah, just have a seat. Stand over there, Trooper. All right, so why are we kind of all over the place, running on and off the road? We got like, what? Three, four 911 calls on you. What's up with that? OK.
Where you coming from? North Carolina? And where is your final destination? You're coming from North Carolina going to North Carolina? I got you. Do you even have your driver's license on you?
Is it in the car? Where is it at in the car? OK, where's the wallet located? You don't know? OK.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- No, I can get it. Where is it located?
- [INAUDIBLE]
- Could it be in your bag, maybe? Do you usually keep your wallet in your bag, maybe? Like your backpack? No? But I can get in there.
You're not really listening to what I'm telling you. I don't want to have any problems. Do you have any weapons or needles or anything in your bag that will hurt me? OK.
- [INAUDIBLE] and then we come around here [INAUDIBLE].
- He says he's coming from North Carolina, but going to North Carolina. [INAUDIBLE].
OK, I don't want to unnecessarily go through any compartments in your bag. [INAUDIBLE]. Where is your [INAUDIBLE]?
- [INAUDIBLE] 1334 [INAUDIBLE]. 10-13.
- Where is your driver's license? On the right side? OK. You on any type of medications?
JEFF HARDY: No.
- No? Now where's the license in your bag? No, no no. No, no, no. You can just tell me. You can tell me. Yeah, I see your backpack. Now, where it's at in your backpack.
- 10-4, I copy your traffic [INAUDIBLE].
- You want me to go only into the compartment where it's at, or do you want me [INAUDIBLE]? OK.
[INAUDIBLE] license and his registration. Give the license to the district.
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE]
- So you said you have a doctor's appointment for your head coming up? Do you mind if I ask what that's for?
JEFF HARDY: Brain scan.
- Brain scan? OK. What would be causing you-- actually I can't hear you. Come on over here.
- [INAUDIBLE] 10-13.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- So what would be causing you-- what would be causing you to kind of be a little bit--
- 0000009791013.
- [INAUDIBLE]
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE]
- So let me ask you this. How come when you [INAUDIBLE]?
- What state is that?
- North Carolina.
- [INAUDIBLE] today? OK. [INAUDIBLE].
- I'm sorry, 10-9, what state?
- North Carolina.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- [INAUDIBLE]. Appreciate it. [INAUDIBLE].
- 10-4 for a Jeffrey Hardy. It's [INAUDIBLE].
- --South Chicago?
- [INAUDIBLE]
- OK. And where'd you get that [INAUDIBLE] at?
- [INAUDIBLE]
JEFF HARDY: Yeah.
- That's what you got there, right? [INAUDIBLE].
JEFF HARDY: Yeah.
- [INAUDIBLE]
JEFF HARDY: Yeah.
- OK. So-- so you said you had [INAUDIBLE].
- [INAUDIBLE]
- I'm just trying to [INAUDIBLE]. You said you're coming from North Carolina?
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE]
- No, no. You're good. No, we're trying to distinguish where you're coming from, where you're going. Earlier you said you're coming from North Carolina. [INAUDIBLE].
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE]
- I caught you? OK. [INAUDIBLE].
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- 10-13, 10-65
- You didn't hurt me. You didn't hurt anyone else. [INAUDIBLE]. So we'll go from there, all right? [INAUDIBLE] for records [INAUDIBLE].
- 10-4. I'm showing that his 27 is suspended out of North Carolina. And has a note. It says, pick up license. There's also something on here. Driving restrictions for blood alcohol content of 0.4 and [INAUDIBLE] ignition interlock. [INAUDIBLE] 14 [INAUDIBLE] 29.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- OK, Mr. Hardy, so what I'd like to do is run you through a series of tests [INAUDIBLE]. Would you be willing to consent to those? OK, we're not going to do it out here because of danger, but [INAUDIBLE] going to have you do it. [INAUDIBLE] going to drive with him, and we'll go to another location where we can actually hear each other and all that. Before we do that, I want to [INAUDIBLE].
What I'm gong to is I'm going to put your phone and all your money that you have and put that back in your car. OK? Yeah. I'm going to put it back in the glove box. Yeah.
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE] there.
- What?
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE]
- I can't hear you. Talk right here. [INAUDIBLE] won't go anywhere. They'll stay there. All right? [INAUDIBLE] OK?
- [INAUDIBLE]
- All right, you're good, bud. [INAUDIBLE].
- [INAUDIBLE]
- You're the one right behind me?
- [INAUDIBLE]
- OK, when we leave the money's going to show him going right into there. Go right up behind him with your camera on so we don't need to do anything.
- Money was placed in the glove box. Is that going to work?
- [INAUDIBLE]
- Advise him on the radio.
- All right. On this side? [INAUDIBLE].
- Mr. Hardy, we're going to keep our hands out of our pockets, though, OK? Appreciate you. Hey, [? Jackson, ?] [INAUDIBLE] Come on.
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE]
- Well, I just saw the shirt. All right. We're going to want you to stand on the white line facing me. You can hear me pretty clearly? OK. I just want to make sure.
Do you wear glasses or contacts? You don't? OK. Good deal. All right, what I want you to do is put your feet together, arms down to your side. Just relax. You know what day it is?
JEFF HARDY: Yeah. June 13.
- Yeah.
JEFF HARDY: What would you like me to do?
- What I would like you to do-- arms down by side, feet together. A little bit more together like this. Look at my feet. Now look at how I got my feet there. Put them together and arms down to your side. All right, we'll run with that.
What I want you to do is look at the very tip of my pen with your eyes and your eyes only. OK? Don't move your head for any [INAUDIBLE]. Do you understand so far? Now try to open your eyes a little. Very good. Try and open your eyes as much as you can. I'd like to see your pupils. All right? [INAUDIBLE].
Almost done. Close your eyes. Open them again. All right, [INAUDIBLE] pen. Follow with your eyes and your eyes only, OK?
Is the sun blocking you? All right, well, face me. How about that? Down to your side for me.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- OK. All right, we're going to use this white line, pretty flat, level surface. Nothing you have to jump over, right? Do we agree? Do you agree with that statement, or? Do we agree that this is a pretty straight line? There's nothing obstructing you from walking? OK. I just want to make sure.
All right, what I want you to do is to put your left foot on the line in front of you just like this, OK? But I want you to put your right foot with the heel of your right touching the toe of your left. Just like this. Then put your arms down to your side. Wait for further instructions. Don't start until I tell you to begin.
When I say to begin, I want you to take nine heel-to-toe steps down the line. They're going to look like this. OK? They're going to look like this. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, all the way to 9. You're going to count each of those steps out loud. On that ninth and final step, you'll take a bunch of small steps, and then going to return back down the line nine more steps. You understand those instructions?
JEFF HARDY: Yes.
- Would you like any part of them repeated?
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE]
- OK, you may begin.
OK. All right. What's that?
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE]
- Well, we still have a couple more to do. We'll see. All right? Go ahead and stand on the white line, put your feet together, arms down to your side. I appreciate you being so cooperative, man. I really do. All right?
You're going to stand with your feet together and arms down to your side, all right? Stay just like that until I give you more instructions, all right? When I tell you to begin, and only when I tell you to begin, I want you to raise one leg-- doesn't matter which one-- approximately six inches off the ground. You're going to look at your elevated foot and point your toe outwards. When you begin looking at that foot, you're going to start counting. 1,001, 1,002, 1,003, and so on until I give you the verbal direction to stop. OK?
So it's going to look like this. 1,001, 1,002, 1,003, and so on, all the way until I tell you to stop. You understand those instructions? OK. You may begin.
All right, we'll move on to the next one. I don't want you to fall. All right. Feet together, arms down to your side. All right, so just like that--
JEFF HARDY: I got a bad knee.
- You got a bad knee? OK. Do you want to try it and step and raise the other leg so you're not on your bad knee?
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE]
- OK. Just making sure. I'm trying to give you every benefit of the doubt. All right, so when I tell you to begin, I want you to close both of your eyes and tilt your head backwards just like this, OK? Then when I tell you to, bring the hand I direct upward touching you. So take that hand-- excuse me, touching your fingers to the tip of your nose. After doing so, immediately bring your hand back down to your side. You understand those instructions? OK. We're going to begin.
Left. Right. Left.
Right. Right.
Remember, your eyes are supposed to be closed until [INAUDIBLE]. Yep. Left.
All right. Go ahead and relax. All right, put your arms down to your side, close your eyes, tilt your head backwards just like this. When I tell you to begin and only when I say to begin, I want you to start counting in your head, not out loud, to 30. You may begin.
JEFF HARDY: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8--
- Slower.
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE] 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.
- I think you missed 24.
JEFF HARDY: [INAUDIBLE]
- What we're going to now, we're going to get you in handcuffs, OK? The time is 9:54 AM. You are under arrest for the offense of DUI, OK? Are those too tight or are those good on you?
JEFF HARDY: Good.
- Good? OK. What I'm doing, I'm just double locking all these so they don't accidentally cinch down on you, OK? All right. [INAUDIBLE].
- 18-13.
- 18-13.
- 10-15.
- [INAUDIBLE]
