FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Just a year and a half after pleading guilty to public intoxication when he was found in a stranger's bed, John Tyson, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Tyson Foods has been arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.
Court records state Tyson, 34, was arrested by the University of Arkansas Police Department (UAPD) around 1:30 a.m. on June 13, and booked under charges of driving under the influence, careless driving, and improperly making a U-turn.
After his last arrest, Tyson Foods released a statement confirming John Tyson had been "suspended from his duties effective immediately," and Curt Calaway was named as an interim CFO. Currently, John R. Tyson is listed as the current CFO.
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A report from UAPD says that around 12:45 a.m. on June 13, an officer was monitoring the intersection of Maple Street and Leverett Avenue when they observed an SUV that appeared to be going over the speed limit before making an improper turn and striking a curb.
A traffic stop was initiated, and the officer smelled a "strong odor of intoxicants," according to the report. Tyson allegedly had bloodshot and watery eyes. He told officers that he was coming from his sister's wedding.
The report says that Tyson told police "If I get into trouble tonight and go to bed it will ruin the rest of my life."
Tyson told police that he didn't have anything to drink at the wedding. His passenger, a woman, told officers that Tyson did have multiple drinks. When later asked where the two went, the passenger told police "where did we go, where did we not go."
When the officer asked Tyson if he would perform field sobriety tests, Tyson replied that it "would literally ruin his life," the report said.
Tyson eventually agreed to perform the sobriety tests. Once completed, he informed the officer that he had about six or seven drinks after about 5 or 6 p.m. He then advised the officer that his sister's wedding was not until the upcoming weekend, and that he had actually come from Dickson Street.
"Based upon Mr. Tyson's manner of driving, my observation and his performance on the tests I deemed him unfit to safely operate a motor vehicle and placed him under arrest for driving while intoxicated," the report said.
After being transported to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Tyson consented to a chemical breath test, which provided a final result of .191 blood alcohol concentration at 1:57 a.m., the report said.
The report adds that Tyson's license was seized, and he was issued a temporary license.
In 2023, John Tyson pleaded guilty to charges stemming from an arrest in November 2022 after he was found asleep in a stranger's bed in Fayetteville. Those charges reportedly resulted in a $150 fine per charge and $140 in court fees.
5NEWS will update this story as more information about John Tyson's recent arrest is made available.
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