GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested in Norcross early Friday morning for driving under the influence, according to the Norcross Police Department.
According to the incident report obtained by 11Alive, Ozuna's Mercedes-Benz was seen traveling at a high rate of speed in a 35 mph zone on Beaver Ruin Road just after 12:30 a.m. The arresting officer said he reached speeds of 90 mph in order to catch up with Ozuna's car, and that the vehicle was occupying both lanes.
The officer said that once pulled over, "the driver immediately stated 'sorry, sorry, I'm Ozuna from the Braves.'" An odor of an alcoholic beverage was detected on Ozuna in addition to him having "red and watery eyes," the officer stated.
"I informed Mr. Ozuna of the reason for the traffic stop to which he again apologized to me and produced an insurance card," the arresting officer said in the report. "I asked Mr. Ozuna what he was doing in Norcross and he replied with 'the party.' I later found out Mr. Ozuna was on his way to a nearby after-hours night club."
Bodycam video showed the moments that led up to Ozuna's arrest. He was administered field sobriety tests but he didn't want to submit a breath sample.
"I cannot do that," he said.
Ozuna was booked at 4:39 a.m. and charged with DUI and failure to maintain lane, according to the arrest log. He was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail and released on bond.
The Atlanta Braves issued the following statement to 11Alive:
"The Atlanta Braves are aware of Marcell Ozuna’s arrest this morning and are still gathering all the facts pertaining to the incident. Our organization takes these matters very seriously and are obviously disappointed by the situation. As this is a legal matter, we will have no further comment until the process is complete."
Mark Bowman, a Braves beat reporter for MLB.com, tweeted a video in which Ozuna appeared at the Braves clubhouse to issue a statement. He did not take any questions.
"I disappointed my team, I disappointed my family," Ozuna said in a short meeting with the media at Truist Park.
This is the second arrest for the 31-year-old in as many seasons with the Braves. He was arrested in 2021 for felony assault after Sandy Springs Police said they witnessed him strangling his wife, although those charges were later dropped. Ozuna was placed on leave and was retroactively suspended by Major League Baseball for the final 20 games of the season.
The Dominican native signed a four-year, $65 million deal with Atlanta in 2021.