Incident report details Tyson CFO arrest for drunk driving

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (KNWA/KFTA) – An incident report describes the arrest of Tyson’s chief financial officer on June 13.

34-year-old John Tyson is accused of drunk driving, making an improper turn at an intersection and reckless and unauthorized driving.

According to an incident report, police stopped Tyson for speeding and making an illegal turn at the intersection of Maple Street and Leverette Avenue at around 12:46 a.m.

Tyson told police he was coming from his sister’s wedding. He showed police his driver’s license and told them, “If I get in trouble tonight and go to bed, it’s going to ruin the rest of my life.”

Tyson told police he had not drunk anything at his sister’s wedding, but the report says he smelled of drugs.

Police administered a standardized sobriety test to Tyson. The report states that he had problems with his balance and had to repeat the test several times.

After the test, Tyson was asked again how much he had drunk at his sister’s wedding. He then said he had had “about six or seven drinks” since about 5 or 6 p.m. He told police he had drunk Miller Lite at the wedding.

Tyson was asked where the wedding was taking place and, according to the report, he then told police that the wedding was planned for the following weekend.

When police asked him again where he was from, he replied he was from Maxine’s Tap Room on Dickson Street in Fayetteville.

Tyson was then arrested and transported to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. According to the report, Tyson’s blood alcohol content was .191. The legal blood alcohol limit in Arkansas is .08.

Tyson was released from custody the same day on $1,105 bail. His court date is scheduled for July 15.

Tyson was suspended from Tyson Foods. The company appointed Curt Calaway as interim CFO. Calaway most recently served as treasurer and senior vice president of finance and corporate development.

This is the second time Tyson has been arrested since 2022.

Tyson was arrested in November 2022 for trespassing and public intoxication after falling asleep drunk in the wrong house.

He initially pleaded not guilty in December 2022, but changed his plea to guilty in January 2023. He was sentenced to pay a total of $440 in fines and fees.

Tyson is the great-grandson of John W. Tyson, the founder of Tyson Foods.