Deonte Harris’ blood alcohol level was over three times the legal limit in July arrest

Deonte Harris’ blood alcohol level was over three times the legal limit of 0.08% when he was arrested near Baltimore on suspicion of driving under the influence on July 16. 

A report from the Maryland State Police said Harris, who has been a wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints since 2019, had a blood alcohol level of .246%. Harris is from the Baltimore area.

The officer who arrested Harris said they saw a Mercedes-Benz C300 swerving across three lanes of traffic on Interstate 695 while going more than 20 mph over the speed limit at approximately 1:30 a.m. When the officer stopped Harris, he mistakenly handed over his credit card instead of his driver’s license, according to the report obtained by New Orleans’ Times-Picayune.

The report said Harris told police he was not sober and had had “two to three” tequila drinks since 4 p.m. The officer included in the report that alcohol was “emitting from (Harris’) breath and person” and his eyes were “bloodshot and glassy.”

The report showed Harris demonstrated 16 of the 18 signs police look for when assessing for DUI, and he failed three sobriety tests before returning a .246 breathalyzer result. 

There is no video footage of the event as Maryland State Police officers do not have body cameras. 

On his way to the police station, he reportedly said “just let me go.”

After he was processed at the police station, a second breathalyzer result showed .21 at around 2:42 a.m., which is still over 2.5 times the legal limit. 

Harris was cited for seven things: driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol, negligent driving, reckless driving, failure to obey traffic control device instructions and exceeding the speed limit. 

The case is still open. 

In his two seasons with the Saints, Harris has played in 25 games, recorded 545 receiving yards and one touchdown. He is an All-Pro returner, having returned 40 kickoffs for 1,080 yards in New Orleans.

NFL precedent for one’s first DUI is a two-game suspension. The Saints lack depth at wide receiver, and losing Harris for any amount of time will be an issue when the season begins.