Florida Gators starting defensive end Carlos Dunlap was arrested and charged with driving under the influence early Tuesday morning in Gainesville.
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Carlos Dunlap, a junior from North Charleston, S.C., was arrested at 3:25 a.m. near campus and was booked into the jail at 5:52 a.m., Gainesville police department spokesman Lt. Keith Kameg said.
He was released on his own recognizance about six hours later during his initial appearance at the Alachua County Jail. Judge Mary Day Coker admonished Carlos Dunlap for underage drinking, and said he cannot possess alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription drugs that are not prescribed for him.
He was told not to drive a motor vehicle without a license, and if caught driving without a license, he would violate the terms of his release. The judge released Carlos Dunlap without bond because he has no prior adjudications and no failures to appear in court.
Wearing a jail-issued, green-and-white striped jumpsuit, Carlos Dunlap spoke softly when asked questions and always replied “Yes, ma’am,” to the judge.
“We are aware of the incident and are currently gathering more information,” Florida athletics spokesman Steve McClain said Tuesday morning. He said any update from the school would not come until after the Gators practice Tuesday afternoon.
Kameg said officers responded to a reckless driving complaint and found Carlos Dunlap’s 2000 Chrysler stopped at a traffic light near the 200 block of W. 34th Street.
Kameg said officers found Dunlap’s car stopped at a green light.
“They approached the car and found the suspect slumped over in the driver’s seat,” Kameg said. “He appeared to be asleep. The car’s windows were cracked so they attempted to wake him up. They talked to him and he would only open his eyes for a few seconds and then fall back asleep.”
Kameg said officers were able to unlock the car and turn off the ignition. Kameg said officers reported that Dunlap “had trouble listening to instructions.” He was given a field sobriety test and performed “poorly,” according to Kameg. He refused to take a Breathalyzer at the scene, Kameg said.
Dunlap, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive end who is considered a potential first-round draft choice if he leaves Florida after this season, has 35 tackles, including 8½ tackles for loss, and is tied for the team lead with seven sacks. He was named MVP of the 2009 FedEx BCS National Championship Game, in which the Gators defeated Oklahoma 24-14 to win their second BCS title in three seasons.
Dunlap was arrested five days before the No. 1 Gators will play No. 2 Alabama in the SEC championship game in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.
Mark Schlabach covers college football for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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