Da’Shawn Hand was asleep in his parked car and not driving at the time of arrest, The Tuscaloosa News has learned.
The University of Alabama defensive lineman was arrested early Saturday morning for driving under the influence and held on a $1,000 bond.
According to Alabama state law, Hand was deemed to be in “constructive possession” of the vehicle, and although he wasn’t driving and the vehicle was parked, the keys being in the car was the determinant that triggered the arrest.
Hand was parked in a near-campus parking lot, sitting in the driver’s seat with the headlights on and the vehicle cranked, but was asleep with the car in park. The arresting officer found Hand at 4:30 a.m. at the 1100 block of University Blvd. Bars in Tuscaloosa close at 2 a.m.
A pre-trial hearing is set for Sept. 18 in Tuscaloosa Municipal Court.
The arrest is the first time Hand has ran afoul of Alabama program rules. He serves on the Student-Athlete advisory committee and was twice named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Nonetheless, UA head coach Nick Saban expressed disappointment in his senior.
“This type of behavior is not acceptable and we are disappointed in Da’Shawn’s actions,” Saban said via statement. “We are still gathering information and will evaluate what we need to do in terms of appropriate discipline as we move forward, so better choices and decisions can be made in the future.”
Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0229.
