Britney Spears’ police report from her March DUI arrest sheds new light on why she was taken into custody.
A police report exclusively obtained by Us Weekly on Thursday, May 21, indicates a chaotic scene as police questioned Spears, 44, near her home in Ventura County, California, on March 4, after 9 p.m. PT. Local police initially responded when an anonymous caller reported that someone was “traveling at high speeds and swerving.”
The officer reported that they observed Spears’ car illegally crossing into another lane by “approximately” two feet on multiple occasions before a siren was sounded to pull her over.
“[The subject] continued to drive in the #2 lane and did not immediately react to my emergency lights. I activated the [police car’s] siren to get the driver’s attention,” the officer wrote.
The police noticed that Spears was wearing a “worn” green striped dress and purple sandals at the time of her roadside inspection.
Once Spears pulled over, the officer detected a “distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage” from inside the vehicle, though the singer allegedly only admitted to having one champagne mimosa seven hours earlier.
“I could probably drink four bottles of wine and take care of you. I’m an angel,” she allegedly told an officer.
Spears confirmed she had taken multiple prescription drugs that day — 200mg of anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer Lamictal, 40mg of antidepressant Prozac and 2.5 mg of ADHD medication Adderall. (Spears mentioned her most recent meal was some ice cream at 3 p.m. that day.)
“[An officer] located a brown purse that contained a bottle of pills labeled ‘Adderall,’ which were not prescribed to Spears,” the report detailed. “[The officer] also observed an empty wine glass in the cup holder between the front driver seat and passenger seat.”
A physical check at the scene saw the officer determine that Spears had “red and watery” eyes with her pupils dilated. However, she later told officers that she was a “zero” on a sobriety scale of zero to 10. (Spears passed two chemical breath tests once she was transported to a local precinct.)
“I instructed Spears to exit the [car], but she initially refused,” the officer wrote. “Spears related she had been pranked and harassed in the past and did not want to exit.”
The singer insisted that she “wanted to speak to her lawyer and had the right as a woman not to exit her vehicle.” Spears allegedly agreed to step out of the car after 10 minutes of objections.
“I detected the distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from her breath and person,” the report read. “Her speech was rapid and slurred, her gait was unsteady, and she was fidgeting with her fingers.”
The officer described “drastic mood swings” during their interaction with Spears, mentioning that she spoke in a British accent at times and her mood changed from “confrontational and agitated to flamboyant.”
While field sobriety tests were attempted at the scene, Spears allegedly said that she was not feeling well and did not want to complete them.
“Spears related the lights were hurting her head and did not want to continue the test. Spears was unable or unwilling to follow my finger throughout the test,” the report read. “Spears continued to move her head throughout the test after being instructed to keep her head still. Spears related that she was blind in her left eye, but was able to see my finger.”
Police first took Spears to the CHP Moorpark Office for a Drug Recognition Evaluation and then transported her to Los Robles Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, California, for a blood draw.
“In an attempt to delay the blood draw, Spears related she needed to use the restroom. While in the restroom. Spears became argumentative and belligerent,” the officer claimed. “I placed Spears in handcuffs and placed her in the right front seat of the [police vehicle].”
Us Weekly has reached out to Spears’ rep for comment.
Us reported that Spears was taken into custody near her home in Ventura County, California, on March 4, at 9:28 p.m. Per the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, she was transferred to a local hospital to have her blood drawn for a blood alcohol content test, which registered at .06, or under the legal limit. (The blood alcohol limit in California is 0.08% or higher for drivers 21 and older.)
“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” Spears’ spokesperson told Us on March 5. “Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”
The music legend ultimately entered rehab on April 12, with an insider exclusively telling Us on April 15 that her two sons — Sean Preston Federline, 20, and Jayden James Federline, 19 — were instrumental in convincing Spears to seek help. (Spears shares her two sons with ex-husband Kevin Federline.)
“Britney went to rehab after several conversations with both of her sons,” a source explained to Us. “They expressed concern about her recent behavior and urged her to seek professional help, which has been long overdue, to get her back on track. All they’ve ever wanted for their mom is health and happiness, even during the years they were estranged. They hope she’ll take it seriously.”
While Spears was seeking treatment, she was officially charged with one count of “vehicle code section 23152” a.k.a. driving under the influence on April 30.
However, a spokesperson for the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to Us that Spears would be “extended” a “wet reckless” plea offer, where she would be “placed on probation for 12 months” and face other minor penalties.
“This DUI case will be handled according to our standard protocols. For defendants without a prior DUI history, a low blood alcohol level, and where there is no crash or injury, prosecutors typically offer what is known as a ‘wet reckless,’” the DA’s office told Us in April. “This law allows a defendant to plead guilty to reckless driving involving alcohol and/or drugs. This type of resolution is common, particularly when a defendant demonstrates self-motivation to address underlying issues through rehabilitation or a drug and alcohol treatment program.”
Spears ultimately emerged from rehab on April 30 and her lawyers accepted the “wet reckless” plea deal on her behalf. During a May 4 court hearing, the prior charge of one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol was dismissed.
As part of this plea deal, Spears was sentenced to 12 months of probation and one day in jail, though she received credit for time spent in custody. Spears must also complete a DUI class and pay $571 in state-mandated fees, in addition to seeing a psychologist once a week and a psychiatrist twice a month.
“Through her plea today, Britney has accepted responsibility for her conduct,” Spears’ attorney, Michael Goldstein, told the New York Times after the latest hearing. “She has taken significant steps to implement positive change which is clearly reflected in the Ventura County District Attorney’s decision to reduce the charge in this case and dismiss the DUI. Britney appreciates this discretion and is also grateful for the outpouring of support she has received.”
