Marshawn Lynch’s Attorney Says Race Was at Play in DUI Arrest

The attorney representing Marshawn Lynch told TMZ that he believed race played a factor in his client’s DUI arrest in July, an allegation that the CHP vehemently denies.

Lynch, who plays for the Seattle Seahawks, was stopped in by two white officers for the California Highway Patrol in Oakland. The officers allege that Lynch was driving erratically, swerving in and out of the driving lanes. They placed Lynch under arrest after a test revealed his blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit.

Ivan Golde, Lynch’s attorney told TMZ “There may be an issue of police misconduct/ racism based on the fact that two white cops (and) an African American defendant by himself.”

Golde's evidence that race played a role in Lynch's arrest lies in the fact that the police dash camera was turned off and the arrest was not filmed, which is standard procedure these days. According to Golde, the officers told him the camera was “not functioning properly” at the time of the arrest.

“There’s an inference, a possibility… it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to say that maybe the police turned it off.”

This is just another strategy Golde is employing to help his client beat a DUI conviction. Just a week or two after Lynch’s arrest Golde challenged the results of the blood alcohol test, a common defense strategy employed by DUI attorneys.

The CHP denies Golde’s allegation and released statement detailing the arrest. A spokesman said, “False allegations such as this undermine the mission and morale of all public safety personnel who faithfully work and serve in our communities.”