The Windermere Police Department has released officers' body cam footage from the arrest of former Major League outfielder Johnny Damon and his wife, Michelle Mangan-Damon, last month.
In the nearly two hours of video footage shared on the Windermere Police Department's YouTube channel, Damon and his wife both make attempts to acknowledge their license plates that show support of law enforcement, which includes the former baseball star telling officers, "blue lives matter."
The video begins with the initial responding officer following Damon's video with a view of the patrol vehicle's dashboard, which includes the officer reporting Damon's vehicle rolled past the stop line at a stop sign, nearly hit a guard rail and veered off the roadway multiple times, among other violations.
After police stopped Damon's vehicle and approached his SUV, the former outfielder exited the vehicle, to which the officer shouted, "Shut your door!" at Damon, who appeared confused.
"What the f***?" Damon responded while re-entering the vehicle.
The officer then observed Mangan-Damon left the vehicle and was walking toward the back of the car, before telling her to return to the SUV.
“What’s happening right now?” Mangan-Damon asked police.
Damon then exited the vehicle as requested by an officer, admitting he had "a little bit" to drink just before his wife exited a second time and ignored an officer's demand to return to the vehicle.
Mangan-Damon told the officer not to touch her and walked away toward the guard house for the community, at which point an officer placed her husband in handcuffs, who told her to walk home.
A backup officer arrived at the scene to assist in detaining Mangan-Damon, at which point she told officers to acknowledge her pro-law enforcement license plates.
“This is bulls—,” Mangan-Damon said. “Look at our license plate. We have Blue Lives Matter. Like, this is crazy. What’s going on right now?”
"Guys, we are all for cops," Damon added.
Damon also falsely blamed his arrest on being targeted for his support of former President Donald Trump.
"I know people are trying to target me because I'm a Trump supporter," Damon slurred, to which the officer responded, "I don't think that has anything to do with it."
Damon complied with officers to take a field sobriety test, which he failed and later posted a blood-alcohol content nearly four times the legal limit of .08, according to the department.
CBS Boston transcribed an interaction in which Damon argued with the initial officer, who told the baseball player he and his wife fought with him during the traffic stop.
Officer:This did not have to be like this, bro.
Damon:I know.
Officer:When an officer tells you to do something, you follow directions.
Damon:I know. I know.
Officer:Period, OK.
Damon:I know. I know. I know.
Officer:You guys seem to be nice people. I hate that this turned out this way, bro.
Damon:Yeah, and I’m all good. Um … you know, couple of drinks, and …
Officer:But that’s not the point. That’s not the big problem. The big problem is what happened right here.
Damon:What happened here?
Officer:You guys didn’t follow his directions.
Damon:Yeah we did.
Officer:You guys both fought him.
Damon:No we did not fight him. What did he say to you that we did?
Officer:There’s a reason why I came up with lights and sirens.
Damon:We did not fight anything.
Last month, Damon was charged with driving under the influence and resisting arrest without violence, while his wife was charged for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence.
Damon, an Orlando native, was held at the Orange County Corrections Department and released Friday, telling WKMG "jail sucks, handcuffs are worse" hours after his release.
Damon, best remembered for his role on the Boston Red Sox's 2004 World Series championship team and 2009 World Series championship team for the arch rival New York Yankees, played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball, which included stints with the Kansas City Royals (1995-2000), Oakland Athletics (2001), Red Sox (2002-05), Yankees (2006-09), Detroit Tigers (2010), Tampa Bay Rays (2011) and Cleveland Indians (2012.)
As a member of the Red Sox, Damon was a fan-favorite for his long, flowing hair and signature beard, as well as clutch playoff hits and diving catches at centerfield, which were instrumental during the franchise's 2004 World Series title run, ending an 86-year championship draught.
Damon later signed a four-year, $52 million contract with the rival Yankees in December 2005, where he cut his shoulder-length hair and beard in adherence with the team's strict dress code, although Damon later admitted he was planning on going back to a clean-cut look even if he didn't sign with New York, which he had up until his third season in Boston, but waited to prevent speculation.
Photo: Orange County Corrections Department/Getty Images