Originally published May 13, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified May 13, 2008 at 11:46 PM

Lofa Tatupu arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated

Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu was arrested early Saturday morning in Kirkland after he was observed speeding by a police officer. Tatupu is being investigated for driving while intoxicated.

By Danny O'Neil

Seattle Times staff reporter

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Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu poses for his 2007 NFL headshot.

Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu was arrested Saturday and cited for driving while intoxicated.

Tatupu was arrested in Kirkland at about 2:30 Saturday morning after an officer observed his car driving at what the officer estimated was in excess of 50 mph in a 35-mph zone. Tatupu submitted to field-sobriety tests, but declined to take a portable Breathalyzer.

He was arrested, handcuffed without incident and taken to the police station. Tatupu was polite and cooperative throughout the process, according to the Kirkland Police Department. Tatupu's blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) was measured at 0.155 and 0.158, nearly double the legal limit of 0.08. That measurement was taken about two hours after Tatupu was observed driving the car.

Tatupu released a statement Tuesday through the Seahawks regarding his arrest.

"I want to apologize to my family, teammates, the Seahawks ownership and organization, and the fans for making a poor decision and putting myself in a bad situation. I take seriously my role as a leader on this team, and in the community, and because of that I'm disappointed and embarrassed by the level of poor judgment I used last weekend. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. This will never happen again, and I hope through hard work on and off the field to begin earning your respect and trust again."

The Kirkland police investigation has been forwarded to the Kirkland prosecutor for the filing of charges. An arraignment is presumably the next step in the case.

Tatupu, 25, has played three seasons in Seattle and been chosen for the Pro Bowl each time. He signed a new contract with the Seahawks in March, which totals $42 million and runs through 2015.

Tatupu participated in a week of practices for the Seahawks last week, first as part of a three-day mandatory minicamp that included rookies and then four days of voluntary workouts.

Attempts to reach his agent, Fletcher Smith, were unsuccessful.

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