Former New England Patriots star Malcolm Butler was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in North Providence, Rhode Island, this month, according to a police report.
Butler, who caught the Super Bowl-clinching interception in 2015, was found by a police officer blocking a lane on Mineral Spring Avenue near the ramps to Route 146 with his car, a white Mercedes, about 3:22 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, according to the North Providence police report.
An officer who spoke with him noted a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, according to the report. He allegedly refused to take a series of field sobriety tests and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
It wasn't immediately clear if Butler had an attorney who could speak to his arrest. He's due in court Thursday morning to face the DUI charge, a misdemeanor, and two violations: refusing to submit to a chemical test and parking or stopping in an intersection.
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Butler, 34, started four seasons for the Patriots, helping them win Super Bowl XLIX over the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons. But in the Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, a game where the Patriots struggled to consistently get defensive stops, he played only three special teams snaps, a move that remains a mystery to this day.
He was featured prominently in the Apple TV+ series "The Dynasty," which focused an episode on the still unexplained benching.
The cornerback left the Patriots to sign with the Tennessee Titans that offseason. He returned to the team in 2022 but was released before the start of the season with an injury settlement.
Butler announced his retirement from the NFL earlier this month. For his career, he had 17 interceptions in 100 games played.
