Overview
- Police say officers arrested Lawson after a Castle Rock liquor store worker reported a man took a $34 bottle of Tito’s vodka and then drank from it at a nearby restaurant.
- The affidavit published by multiple outlets alleges Lawson smelled of alcohol, appeared to be stumbling and became combative in custody by insulting officers, kicking a glass cell wall and spitting before later apologizing.
- Lawson posted on social media after the incident accusing a store employee of lying and describing the encounter as racist.
- He was booked into the Douglas County Jail, released on a misdemeanor theft charge for property valued under $300, and is due in court for a pretrial conference on Aug. 13.
- Reporting places this episode in the context of Lawson’s past alcohol-related legal problems, including DUI arrests in 2015 and a 2020 overseas ban, which critics and supporters say shape how the incident is being viewed.