As a result of her arrest in a Walmart parking lot in North Carolina with her 2-year-old twins, the former US women’s national soccer team goalkeeper, Hope Solo was taken into custody.
According to the Associated Press, police in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Hope Solo was arrested on suspicion of DUI, resisting a public officer, and misdemeanor child abuse on Thursday. One of Solo’s two young children was in the backseat and the vehicle’s engine was still running when she was discovered by a bystander.
One of the officers who responded arrived at the scene and was able to detect alcohol on her breath, according to reports from AP. Solo refused to take a field sobriety test, so a blood sample was taken in its place. On the 28th of June, Solo is scheduled to appear in court after being released from jail.
After posting a statement on Friday that has since been taken down, attorney Rich Nichols for double Olympic gold medalist Hailey Solo said his client could not speak about what happened.
On the advice of counsel, Hope can’t speak about this situation, but she wants everyone to know that her kids are her life, that she was released immediately and is now at home with her family, that the story is more sympathetic than the initial charges suggest, and that she looks forward to her opportunity to defend these charges.
Solo posted another statement to Instagram on Saturday, saying, “Our kids are strong, intelligent, happy, and vibrant, and we are present every day giving them the best life possible.” She added that she “will be able to share the facts in due time.”
In 2020, Solo, who is married to Jerramy Stevens, gave birth to twins after eight years together. After only two months of dating, Stevens was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence.
Police are said to have used a stun gun to stop Solo and Stevens from fighting. Because of a lack of evidence in the case, he was released and never prosecuted. The next day, they were married.
Despite her many accolades, Solo’s career came to an end in 2016 when she formally announced her retirement from competitive gymnastics.
Her dismissal from the US Women’s National Team came after a second suspension for her comments about the Swedish women’s soccer team’s “cowardly” tactics during their 2016 Olympic match in Rio de Janeiro.
She has also had numerous encounters with the police. Solo was arrested in 2014 for allegedly assaulting her sister and nephew at her Seattle home. The charges against her for domestic violence were later dropped after she pleaded “not guilty.”
Stevens received a 30-day suspension after he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in another incident involving her husband. As a result of her husband’s arrest while driving the US Soccer team van, Solo received a one-game suspension.
The National Soccer Hall of Fame will induct Solo on May 21 in Frisco, Texas. When BuzzFeed News inquired about whether or not it still planned to honor her, the organization declined to comment.