Newly obtained body camera footage shows former NFL quarterback Tony Romo arguing with a Wisconsin police officer over his repeated requests to call his attorney during a traffic stop last week that ended in his arrest.
Romo was pulled over on a Milwaukee interstate just after 6 p.m. on July 23. In the footage, he appears caught off guard by the stop, telling the officer he was coming from a golf course on his way to visit his grandparents. Asked how much he’d had to drink, Romo replied, “zero.”
When the officer asked him to step out of the vehicle for field sobriety testing, Romo instead said he needed to call his lawyer. The officer repeated the request, but Romo continued to push back and began recording the interaction on his phone. After further back and forth, he eventually exited the car, telling the officer bluntly, “Because I’m coming from a golf course you think I’m drunk?”
The officer told Romo he was being detained on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and wanted to move the stop to a safer location to conduct sobriety testing. She handcuffed him and placed him in the back of her squad car for the drive to a nearby police station. There, she explained that she suspected impairment based on his “red glassy eyes and the odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage,” and noted that unopened alcohol shooters had been found in his bag.
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At the station, Romo underwent several field sobriety tests, including following a pen with his eyes, walking a straight line and standing on one leg, appearing to struggle with each. He said he needed to stretch repeatedly during testing, explaining that the ride to the station had aggravated old back injuries, according to the NY Post.
When the officer asked whether he would submit to a breath test, Romo declined. “Oh, no,” he said. “We’re not doing that. I’ve heard from all the lawyers don’t ever do that. So, we’re not going to do that.” He was subsequently arrested and booked on one count of operating while intoxicated, a first offense.
Court records reviewed this week show Romo was also cited for refusing a test for intoxication following his arrest. A spokesperson for the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office said the case is classified as a traffic violation rather than a criminal charge. Romo has not publicly commented on the arrest and is scheduled to appear in court on September 21.
Romo played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2004 to 2016 before transitioning to broadcasting, joining CBS as a game analyst. In 2020, he signed a 10-year, $180 million deal with the network. According to a Daily Mail report published Tuesday, CBS has no plans to part ways with Romo over the arrest, though he reportedly intends to step back somewhat from the spotlight following the incident.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Tony Romo told cops he was on his way to meet his grandma and grandpa when he was pulled over and ultimately busted for OWI … newly released body camera footage shows. pic.twitter.com/visfkPfxGT
— TMZ (@TMZ) July 29, 2026
NEW: Bodycam footage of Tony Romo’s arrest released, tells police officer that he was on his way to see Grandma and Grandpa.
“Because I’m coming from a golf course, you think I’m drunk?” he asked the female police officer.
Romo was also heard telling officers that he was having… pic.twitter.com/Por3T2kahA
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 29, 2026
