Dorell Wright arrested on DUI charge
MIAMI HERALD — Another day, another apparent dose of drama off the court for the Miami Heat.
The latest episode came early Thursday morning, when forward Dorell Wright was arrested in South Beach and charged with DUI and driving with a suspended license.
According to the arrest report, Wright, 24, was stopped at 3:37 a.m. in his 2005 Bentley near the intersection of Alton Road and 12th Street. Officers witnessed Wright driving erratically and, upon approaching the vehicle, observed “red and watery eyes, odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath and low and slurred speech.”
Wright could not find his proof of insurance, knew he was driving on a suspended license and refused to submit to a sobriety test, according to the affidavit. Wright also was accused of driving 52 mph in a 35 mph zone.
Wright was booked at Miami’s Pretrial Detention Center about 10 a.m and released just before noon on $2,000 bond.
The arrest happened about five hours after he played 22 minutes in the Heat’s 108-97 victory Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at AmericanAirlines Arena.
A Heat spokesman said the team would release a statement later Thursday. Wright, 24, is the second Heat player arrested after a traffic stop in the past two weeks.
Heat point guard Carlos Arroyo is facing misdemeanor charges of impeding traffic and resisting arrest for an incident on Feb. 26. Coral Gables police said Arroyo was driving his vehicle too slowly and initially would not cooperate with officers.
The Heat is also dealing with other internal issues. The team suspended veteran guard Rafer Alston indefinitely without pay last week after he abruptly left team following his demotion from the starting lineup. Alston, who reportedly went to Houston to deal with a family matter, has not responded to several attempts by the team to reach him since Friday.
Wright’s arrest is the latest ordeal to hit the Heat while it is in the middle of an aggressive season-ticket sales drive. The team also is in the middle of a desperate playoff push and holds the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference.
Miami (33-32) carries a season-long, four-game home winning streak into Friday’s matchup against Chicago.
The team did not practice Thursday, and it is unclear whether Wright will be available for Friday’s game.
Wright has averaged 6.3 points and 3.1 rebounds this season. The Heat’s first-round pick in the 2004 draft, Wright has played in 57 games in his most productive season since he underwent knee surgery in 2008.
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