Phoenix Suns small forward formally charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI)..

ESPN reported on Thursday, citing Arizona court sources, that Phoenix Suns small forward / shooting guard Dillon Brooks has been formally charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

According to the report, the charge against Brooks is closely related to his previous arrest in March for suspected drug-impaired driving. The player is scheduled to appear in court on October 28 for this first-degree misdemeanor charge.

This news was subsequently confirmed by Suns Vice President of Communications Stacey Mitch. Mitch added that the team has communicated with Brooks about the matter and declined to comment further before the trial concludes.

According to previous reports, Brooks was pulled over for a traffic violation around 1:00 AM local time on March 6th south of Thunderbird Road on Scottsdale Road. An investigation revealed that Brooks was arrested at 1:33 AM for suspected drunk driving.

He was subsequently enrolled in the Scottsdale City Jail and released around 3:30 AM. The city attorney's office will decide whether to file charges against him.

According to a report from Scottsdale Police, after pulling Brooks over, officers told him they had observed him failing to "keep in his lane" six times. Brooks stated that he was following the vehicle in front of him at the time.

Police also stated that Brooks' car smelled strongly of marijuana, but the player consistently denied this, claiming that he had last used marijuana some time ago and did not have any marijuana in his car at the time.

He also insisted that he had not been drinking that night and that his last alcohol consumption was six months ago.

Despite this, the officers on duty believed the strong smell emanating from his car resembled the stench of a marijuana dispensary and decided to proceed with an arrest.

After asking Brooks to get out of the car, officers conducted a series of on-site sobriety tests on him before arresting him.

Brooks was told that his breathalyzer test result was zero.

On the way to Scottsdale Jail, Brooks asked officers if they had any video footage of him being accused of violating lane regulations. The officers said no. Brooks also noted that officers, on their way to jail, crossed lanes while driving, just as he was accused of doing.

Under Arizona law, even if an adult legally uses marijuana, the driver can still be prosecuted for driving under the influence of marijuana.

The 30-year-old Brooks is currently in his tenth NBA season, his second since joining the Phoenix Suns.

He was one of the key assets in the Suns' trade to the Houston Rockets to acquire Kevin Durant.

For much of last season, he was a key factor in the Phoenix Suns' success, bringing previously lacking defensive intensity and toughness to the team.

In 56 games played, Brooks averaged 20.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.

Image source: Internet / ESPN