Ex-US Women’s Soccer Goalkeeper Hope Solo Arrested On DWI And Child Abuse Charges

Hope Solo, a former US women’s soccer goalkeeper, was arrested in North Carolina on a driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge on Thursday.

The US women’s soccer legend, who was taken into custody in a Walmart parking lot in Winston-Salem, was booked into the Forsyth County Jail, reported Fox News. At the time of her arrest, Solo, who is also facing charges of resisting arrest and misdemeanor child abuse, allegedly had two young children in the car. According to TMZ Sports, it was unclear whether it was the kids she shares with her husband Jerramy Stevens.

As per BuzzFeed News, she had allegedly been passed out for more than an hour. At that time the engine of the vehicle was running, while her two children were in the backseat. Then she was noticed by a passerby. A responding officer with the Winston-Salem Police Department arrived at the scene and could smell alcohol on the former goalkeeper's breath, but when he tried to administer a field sobriety test, Solo refused, and a blood sample was taken instead.

Solo's lawyer, Rich Nichols, released a statement on her Twitter saying that on the advice of counsel, the former goalkeeper "can't speak about this situation."

The statement read that she wants everyone to know that "her kids are her life, that she was released immediately and is now at home with her family." According to the statement, the story is "more sympathetic than the initial charges suggest, and that she looks forward to her opportunity to defend these charges." If the two-time Olympic gold medalist gets convicted then she could face time in jail.

In 2014, she was arrested in a domestic violence incident with her sister and her nephew in Washington state, but the charges were dropped in 2018.

Solo, who was the 2009 US Soccer Female Athlete of the Year, defended herself and her parenting on social media Saturday.

After the arrest, she posted a message on Instagram and Twitter. She said that she would be able to share what was going on in her life at the time of her arrest "in due time," and mentioned that her "family is strong and surrounded with love." She wrote that her children are "strong, intelligent, happy and vibrant, and we are present every day giving them the best life possible."

Amid all the drama, she said that her children are enjoying the sun, "eating popsicles and playing on our property." She also wrote that life can be tough, but these are "truly the moments that matter," and she said that she feels "blessed to have this kind of love in my life."

She is scheduled to appear in court on June 28.