Brent at Jerry Brown’s funeral earlier this week. (AP) |
Following the car crash that killed Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown and the subsequent charge against Dallas nose tackle Josh Brent of intoxication manslaughter, The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Brent had a blood alcohol level of more than twice the legal limit during the time of the accident.
According to the paper, Brent’s alcohol was 0.18. He reportedly failed a field sobriety testimmediately after the crash and, though he refused the breathalyzer test, police could give him one against his will because the accident resulted in a death.
The paper writes that, according to an online BAC calculator, the 320-pound Brent would have had to imbibe about 20 shots during a four-hour period to reach that 0.18 mark.
"That’s just a lot of alcohol," Richard Alpert, a national authority on drunken driving prosecution, told The Morning News. "The real story now is where he was drinking. So we’d be following his credit card trail, we’d be checking social media to see where or if anyone was posting about his drinking."
Brent is out on $500,000 bond and visited the team facility earlier this week and was invited by Brown's mother to attend the memorial service. Brent and Brown, who were teammates at the University of Illinois, were close friends, and Cowboys coach Jason Garrett described Brent as "very distraught."
If convicted, Brent could face up to 20 years in prison.
"It appears this case is being tried in the media," Debbie Denmon, a spokesman for the Dallas County district attorney’s office, told the paper. "They’re trying to paint him [Brent] as a victim and, as tragic as this case is for so many people, the bottom line is that there is only one victim here and he’s dead."
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