Police bodycam footage captured the moment Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton was arrested for driving under the influence.
The 33-minute video, shared via YouTube by Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday, July 8, shows Retton, 57, speaking with authorities on May 17, who conducted a balance test with the athlete before providing her with the oxygen she requires as a result of lung damage from pneumonia in 2023.
The footage then shows Retton being cuffed by police and escorted right into a police vehicle before being transported to a West Virginia police station for further examination.
In an announcement provided to Us Weekly by Retton following her DUI charge, the gymnast said she took “full responsibility” for her actions. “What happened was completely unacceptable,” she told Us via the statement sent over on June 10. “I make no excuses. To my family, friends and my fans: I actually have allow you to down, and for that I’m deeply sorry.”
The bodycam footage also showed Retton, who received a $100 high-quality in light of the incident and in addition posted a private recognizance bond of $1,500 that the court issued on the day of her arrest, growing increasingly distressed while seated throughout the police department’s office.
“You’re in your oxygen on a regular basis,” a police officer is heard telling Retton, who responds, “I’m 24/7.” When the officer then suggests that she refills her oxygen on the hospital, Retton responds with, “No, f*** that. You’re terrible. I’ll die here.”
Retton is then seen deeply respiration and teary as she struggles to soak up enough air as authorities radio each other to gather additional oxygen. She then refuses to take a test to find out her blood alcohol level.
During Retton’s statement to Us following the arrest, she added that she was “determined to grow” from the ordeal. “I’m committed to creating positive changes in my life. I actually appreciate your concern, encouragement and continued support,” she wrote on the time.
Latest claims surrounding the arrest of Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton have been revealed. In a Tuesday, May 27, report from the Associated Press, West Virginia’s Fairmont Police department allegedly claimed Retton, 57, “smelled of alcohol and was slurring her words,” following the failure of a field sobriety test conducted by officials on the scene. […]
Retton became a household sporting name through her time on the 1984 Summer Olympics when she became the primary American woman to win gold in the person all-around competition in gymnastics.
She experienced a big health battle in October 2023, spending two weeks within the ICU while battling a rare type of pneumonia.
Retton told Entertainment Tonight in May 2024 that her recovery will remain ongoing. “It’s a really long recovery, I’m still on oxygen, and I had a little bit of a relapse some time ago, but I’m back and controlled,” Retton told the outlet on the time. “It’s just more discouragement than anything because, you realize, patience isn’t one in all my strong skill sets. I’m uninterested in this thing up my nose.”