Middleweight champion Jermall Charlo arrested and charged with drunk driving

Jermall Charlo was arrested Monday night in Texas and charged with three misdemeanors related to driving under the influence, fleeing the scene of an accident and fleeing police, Pearland Police Department Public Information Officer Chad Rogers told ESPN on Tuesday.

According to court records, Charlo was released on a $9,500 bond and his blood alcohol content was over 0.15. The legal limit is .08.

Charlo, 33, the WBC middleweight titleholder, was driving his red Lamborghini around 6:41 p.m. Monday when he was involved in a collision with another vehicle, according to police.

After the accident, a verbal altercation ensued and Charlo left the scene instead of waiting for the police to arrive. The officer eventually identified his location and pulled up behind Charlo in a marked car with its lights on.

Charlo, the sole occupant of the vehicle, drove for about a mile while an officer pursued him. Eventually, another officer parked in front of Charlo as he attempted to run a red light and forced him to stop.

He was arrested and taken to the Pearland City Jail where standard field sobriety tests were administered. Police noted that Charlo had lost the “normal use of his mental and physical faculties.” He was then taken to the Brazoria County Jail.

Charlo has not made a 160-pound title defense since June 2021 and still remains the WBC champion. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Charlo, ESPN’s No. 3 middleweight, weighed in at 166.5 pounds and secured a decision victory over Jose Benavidez Jr. in November, Charlo’s first fight in 29 months.

Charlo’s twin brother Jermell suffered a lopsided decision loss to Canelo Alvarez in September. Jermall Charlo was the originally scheduled opponent of Alvarez, boxing’s top star, last Saturday in Las Vegas.