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Court Papers Show News Anchor Had High Blood Alcohol Level

TBO.com

Published: February 23, 2009

Updated: 02/23/2009 02:38 pm

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Russell Rhodes

WTVT morning anchor Russell Rhodes had a blood-alcohol content more than twice the level at which the state presumes intoxication when he was arrested on Jan. 16, according to new court documents.

His blood-alcohol level was .179 and .178, according to the discovery documents released by the state attorney's office today. Florida law presumes a driver is impaired with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office report, Rhodes was arrested after trying to run from an off-duty deputy who had seen him driving a BMW recklessly in the parking garage at Channelside in Tampa on Jan. 16.

Rhodes appeared to be intoxicated when he got out of the vehicle and twice tried to walk away, and then attempt to run out of the garage, deputies reported. He refused to surrender the key and the deputy took Rhodes to the ground to be handcuffed, the report states.

Rhodes had "an odor of an alcoholic beverage upon his breath, red-watery eyes + slurred speech," an arrest report states.

Rhodes told the deputy he panicked "because he works for Fox 13 news," according to an arrest affidavit. He was treated for a laceration to his lip and a contusion to his left cheek, according to deputies.

Rhodes was off the air for nearly a month following the arrest, but he has since returned to duty. He apologized on the air.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges of drunken driving and resisting an officer without violence.

Rhodes could not immediately be reached for comment today.

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