Few people look good in a police mug shot, but this must be one of the worst sides of Sir Charles Barkley ever seen.
In a story covered extensively today by the national media, Barkley was arrested last night in Old Town Scottsdale on suspicion of DUI after he allegedly ran a stop sign in his 2005 Infiniti SUV. A Gilbert cop participating in a DUI task force stopped Sir Charles, noticed he reeked of booze and processed him for a citation. Cell phone pictures someone took of the arrest were obtained exclusively by the entertainment Web site TMZ.
But this booking photo, released by the Gilbert Police Department, is the most telling.
The dark semi-circles under his bloodshot eyes, the sheen of sweat, the chin stubble -- yeah, it looks like Barkley was partying pretty hard.
He probably shouldn't have been driving, though the results of his blood test haven't come back so no one knows just how wasted he was. The cop who made the arrest claims Barkley reeked of booze.
In a CNN story, Barkley seems to dance close to a confession, saying he's "disappointed that I put myself in that position."
On the other hand, some of those stop signs in Old Town are tough to see at night, so the mere fact that he may have run one doesn't necessarily mean he was all that impaired.
What was Barkley thinking? Can't he afford a driver?
Barkley never wanted to be a role model, but as we prepare to celebrate New Year's Eve tonight, Valley residents can sure learn something from his actions last night:
Don't be stupid or you'll end up sweating it in jail like Sir Charles. -- Ray Stern
