Iowa defensive lineman Broderick Binns was arrested early Friday morning in University Heights for drunken driving.
Binns was pulled over at Benton St. and Greenwood Drive after police saw him drive straight through a left turn lane. He was also stopped for an equipment violation.
The redshirt junior initially denied drinking, police said, but eventually admitted to having “several drinks.” Binns was observed by police as smelling of alcohol, as well as having watery eyes and impaired speech and balance. He showed signs of impairment during field sobriety tests and also failed a preliminary breath test (.097 blood-alcohol content level). A DataMaster breath analyzer later listed Binns’ BAC at .101. The legal limit in the state of Iowa is .08.
Although Binns is 20 years old, police said he was wearing a bar wristband to indicate he was of legal age to drink. A new Iowa City ordinance prohibiting patrons under-21 from entering bars after 10 p.m. went into effect at midnight on June 1.
Binns was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) and taken to Johnson County Jail at 12:57 a.m. He was released this morning after making an initial court appearance.
Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz issued a statement Friday morning regarding the incident.
“I was very disappointed to learn of the incident involving Broderick Binns,” Ferentz said. “He will, as a result, receive counseling and will attend an educational program. He will also receive some form of suspension and will do community service.
“I still need to get all the facts concerning the incident. But, the matter and punishment will be handled internally.”
Binns, a St. Paul, Minn., native, started in all 13 of Iowa’s games last season on the way to earning honorable mention all-Big Ten honors. The 6-2 261-pounder recorded 10 tackles for loss, including six sacks. He is anticipated to be a starter on the Hawkeye defensive line in 2010 as well.
Two of Binns’ teammates, Jewel Hampton and Jordan Bernstine, were both charged with public intoxication on June 5. Hampton, 20, was also charged for being in a bar after 10 p.m. Ferentz has yet to publicly announce any football-related punishment for either player beyond stating the matter would be “handled internally.”
