A city of Parkville elected official was arrested for driving while intoxicated Friday night.
Marc Sportsman, 59, an alderman serving Ward 4 in Parkville, was one of three arrests made by the Platte County Sheriff’s Department in a sobriety checkpoint held in the 7200 block of Hwy. 9, which is north of Parkville near the St. Therese Church.
Authorities say Sportsman’s blood alcohol content was .127. The legal limit for drivers is .08.
Sportsman was taken to the Platte County Detention Center where he was booked on the charge before being released after posting bond.
Sportsman’s arrest occurred around 10:45 p.m.
The alderman told deputies he had been to the Royals game. He told authorities he had four beers at the game, adding that he had last eaten at 5 p.m. that day, had started drinking at 7 p.m. and ended around 9:30 p.m.
Deputy Blair Dudley performed field sobriety tests on Sportsman, then asked him if he would submit to a portable breath test. Sportsman said he would.
“From the clues from the field sobriety tests and the portable breath test, I advised Sportsman he was under arrest for driving while intoxicated,” states the report from Dudley.
“Sportsman stated he had been drinking but denied being under the influence of an alcoholic beverage,” according to the deputy’s report.
Interviewed by The Landmark Tuesday night shortly after he had taken part in the alderman meeting that evening, Sportsman said he is embarrassed by the incident.
“I’m embarrassed. I apologize for embarrassing my family. It was a mistake and I’ll live with the consequences,” Sportsman remarked.
“I was coming back from a Royals game. I thought I was okay but evidently not,” he added.
“I embarrassed myself and my family and I apologize to anyone in the Parkville community that I may have offended,” Sportsman said.
Sportsman, who was elected to his position in 2007, said he had dropped off friends who had accompanied him to the Royals game and was heading to his home in Parkville at the time he came upon the checkpoint.
Asked if the charge would affect his standing on the board in any way, Sportsman on Tuesday night indicated he had yet spoken of his arrest to fellow elected officials.
In a follow-up communication with The Landmark on Wednesday morning, Sportsman said he emailed the mayor and other board of aldermen members after the newspaper had contacted him late Tuesday.
In that email, he says he mentioned to Mayor Nan Johnston that he would resign if that is the desire of the board.
