VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Highway Patrol released dash camera video Tuesday showing the traffic stop that ended in the arrest of professional wrestler Jeff Hardy.
Hardy, who currently works for All Elite Wrestling based out of Jacksonville, was arrested Monday and bonded out of the Volusia County jail later that day, records show.
AEW released a statement Tuesday, saying it would assist Hardy with getting treatment for substance abuse issues.
“In the interim, he is suspended without pay, and he can only return to AEW upon successfully completing treatment and maintaining his sobriety,” said a statement attributed to AEW CEO Tony Khan.
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Investigators said they received reports of a white Dodge Charger swerving across several lanes of Interstate 4 Monday morning. Troopers caught up with the vehicle as it merged from I-4 onto Interstate 95 in Volusia County, records show.
Troopers catch up with the Charger nearly four minutes into the video. In the video, the Charger can be seen drifting onto the left shoulder of the road, coming close to the concrete barrier and then drifting back into both lanes of traffic. After merging onto I-95, the video shows the trooper activate his sirens.
About five minutes into the video, the Charger pulls over onto the shoulder of I-95. The video shows a trooper approach the passenger’s side window and tap on the glass before quickly drawing his gun.
In the arrest report, FHP said Hardy was reaching into a black backpack as troopers approached the vehicle.
The video shows a second trooper approach the driver’s side door and also point his gun at Hardy. Troopers said they ordered the wrestler to place his hands on the steering wheel, which he did.
The video shows Hardy’s car jerk forward as troopers still have their weapons pointed at the driver. Records show Hardy struggled to put the car in park, but eventually managed to do so.
About six minutes into the video, Hardy exits the car. Troopers can be seen immediately patting the wrestler down and removing his backpack from the vehicle. The video shows the troopers back Hardy up to their cruiser and sit him on the curb.
“How are you doing bud?” a trooper can be heard saying in the video.
Hardy’s side of the conversation is not audible.
“We got several 911 calls on ya. Do you know why we might have gotten some calls?” the trooper said in the video.
Hardy appears to shake his head.
“You were all over the road. What’s going on with that?” the trooper said.
At about 7:34 in the video, Hardy stands up and appears to stagger.
“Don’t fall over,” the trooper said to Hardy.
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Troopers ask Hardy where he is coming from and where he is going. Hardy’s response is not audible in the video.
“So you’re coming from North Carolina, going to North Carolina?” the trooper said.
After troopers search the car for Hardy’s wallet to see his license they ask to search his bag.
“Do you have any weapons or needles or anything in your bag that’ll hurt me?” the trooper asks in the video.
Again, Hardy appears to shake his head.
At 11:29 in the video, Hardy’s bag is searched. While the bag is searched, Hardy is seen in the video fist-bumping someone off-camera.
At 12:57 in the video, a trooper asks “How come when you speak I smell alcohol?”
A portion of Hardy’s response cannot be heard, but “double shots of Fireball” is audible in the video.
“You caught me,” someone, possibly Hardy, can be heard saying off-camera.
“I caught you?” the trooper responds and appears to smile.
At 16:37 into the video, Hardy can be seen consenting to field sobriety exercises. Shortly thereafter on the video, a trooper empties Hardy’s pockets.
The troopers then take Hardy to a parking lot for the field sobriety exercises.
At 26:27 in the video, the troopers can be heard discussing the field sobriety exercises off camera.
“He’s lucky we pulled him over. He could have killed himself. I don’t want to see nobody get hurt,” a trooper can be heard saying in the video.
At 27:14 in the video, Hardy can be seen receiving instructions on the exercises from the troopers. Hardy is asked to put his feet together with his arms at his sides, but he can be seen on the video swaying and stepping to catch himself from falling. The video shows him trying several more times to stand with his feet together, but Hardy appears to have difficulty every time.
Around 30 minutes into the video, Hardy is asked to walk nine steps in a straight line. In the video, Hardy appears to stagger and sway as he attempts to walk.
About 35 minutes into the video, the wrestler is placed in handcuffs. The video ends shortly thereafter.
Troopers said Hardy submitted to a breathalyzer which showed an alcohol content of higher than .29, more than four times the legal limit.
He faces charges of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (third offense within 10 years), driving on a canceled or suspended license and violating restrictions placed on a driver’s license.
Hardy rose to fame in the WWE in a tag team with his brother, Matt Hardy, but has since gone on to a successful solo career, including championship runs in both the WWE and TNA Wrestling, now called Impact Wrestling.
Hardy has had several documented issues with substance abuse throughout his career. Troopers noted in their arrest report that Hardy had been charged with DUI in 2018 and 2019.