Bruce Springsteen initially refused a breath test before drunken driving arrest, police say

New Jersey music icon Bruce Springsteen is facing drunken driving charges after having a shot of tequila with fans and failing two field sobriety tests.

Springsteen was arrested Nov. 14 at Gateway National Recreation Area, according to the National Park Service. Springsteen was cited for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area, according to a NPS statement obtained by Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The music superstar was riding his bike, which a federal summons described as a red and silver Triumph motorcycle, when he pulled over to take pictures with fans, who offered him a shot of tequila, authorities said. 

A ranger, identified as R.L. Hayes, saw Springsteen take a shot of Patron tequila and then get on his motorcycle and start the engine, according to a copy of the federal summons made public on Tuesday.

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"Springsteen smelt strongly of alcohol coming off his person and had glassy eyes," Hayes wrote, adding that the musician admitted to having two shots in the last 20 minutes. "I asked Springsteen if he was leaving and he confirmed that he was going to drive out of the park."

Although the rocker initially refused a breath test when he was pulled over, NPS said Springsteen was “cooperative throughout the process” and eventually submitted to the test.

Springsteen’s blood-alcohol content was 0.02 — just a quarter of New Jersey’s legal limit — when he was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, a source familiar with the case told the Asbury Park Press. The legal threshold indicating intoxication for driving purposes in New Jersey is .08, which calls into question why Springsteen was even charged with driving while intoxicated, the source added.

Hayes stated that he "observed four out of six clues on the horizontal gaze nystagmus test," a field sobriety test in which a person suspected of being intoxicated is asked to follow a small object with their eyes while keeping their head still.

Springsteen was "visibly swaying back and forth while I observed his eyes," Hayes said.

The ranger also put Springsteen through a walk and turn test, where a person is asked to take heel-to-toe steps while walking in a straight line and then turn and walk back the other direction. 

Hayes wrote that he observed five out of eight clues that would indicate a person is intoxicated. Springsteen took 45 total steps during the walk and turn instead of the instructed 19, according to the summons.

The Boss will have a court appearance through Federal Court in Newark as the Gateway National Recreation Area is federal land.

Springsteen, a Freehold native who lives in Colts Neck, has no prior DWIs or arrests in New Jersey, according to public records. Attempts to reach Springsteen’s representative were unsuccessful.

"It’s unfortunate, but let’s realize that Bruce is still a human being just like the rest of us and he is not perfect," said Ocean Grove resident Lee Silverstone. "We all make mistakes in life. I still have tremendous respect for him as an artist and a human being."

Audrey Hunn of the Calling Bruce Springsteen Fans! Facebook group concurred.

"He is a fine man who has spent his life sharing his ‘magic trick’ with his fans and of late more of his personal self than ever before," she said. "He is a human being with flaws just like the rest of us."

On Sunday, Springsteen appeared in a Super Bowl ad from automaker Jeep. In the two-minute ad, Springsteen advocates for finding the middle and trusting our nation’s guiding principles. Jeep has since removed “The Middle” from its social media. 

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In a statement, Jeep said it “would be inappropriate for us to comment on the details of a matter we have only read about and we cannot substantiate.” But the company added, “it’s also right that we pause our Big Game commercial until the actual facts can be established.”

"Maybe the Jeep people feel the Springsteen constituency is tapped out," said John S. Buzza, a marketing management professor at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey.  "So maybe now they want to go in another direction."

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Springsteen is an active biker who often makes trips in the Jersey Shore area. He made national headlines in November 2016 when his motorcycle broke down and three bikers stopped to help him.

Springsteen has used the backdrop of the park on Sandy Hook in several of his projects. He shot the short film “Hunter of Invisible Game” at Fort Hancock there, and in 1987 the “Brilliant Disguise” video from “Tunnel of Love” was filmed in the kitchen of an abandoned officer's house on the grounds. Annie Leibovitz shot the “Tunnel of Love” album cover there, too.

On Jan. 20, Springsteen performed as part of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, singing “Land of Hope and Dreams” in front of the Lincoln Memorial. 

The arrest was first reported by TMZ.

Contributing: Ashbury Park's Ken Serrano and Kathleen Hopkins; USA TODAY's Cydney Henderson and The Associated Press.