Mike Ditka's Son Charged With DUI, Claims Cops Targeted Him Because Of Name

The son of legendary Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka was arrested recently for driving under the influence outside his apartment complex in suburban Deerfield, Illinois.

But Michael P. Ditka protested the DUI charge, arguing that he was targeted by the police for his famous moniker.

“If my name was Joe Smith, this would not have happened,” Ditka told TribLocal. “I was not driving a car. I was parked. The keys weren’t even in the ignition."

The Deerfield police report tells a different story. According to that document, officers saw a black Hummer H3 pull into a parking lot at the Deerfield Village Centre Apartments. Ditka stepped out of the driver's side of the vehicle, and, according to CBS, smelled strongly of alcohol.

He apparently failed a field sobriety test, and breath tests indicated that his blood-alcohol content was around .19. The legal limit for driving in Illinois is .08.

This isn't the younger Ditka's first run-in with the law, as the Chicago Sun-Times reports. In 1998, he pleaded guilty to a battery charge for pushing his girlfriend at the time in their home. He had been drinking and watching a football game that upset him at the time.

He is due in court on the DUI charge on May 11.

Comments

[CatfishJohn]

09:13 AM on 04/30/2011

"DITTTTTKKKA" is not just a name.....it is a phenemenon...it is a state of mind!

[clutchkill]

04:09 AM on 04/30/2011

What got Ditka's son in trouble??

Dah Beers... :)

[CatfishJohn]

09:13 AM on 04/30/2011

Good one- extra "brats" for you!

[hotbarb2614]

01:02 PM on 04/30/2011

GOOD ONE F&F

[cliffhammond]

12:07 AM on 04/30/2011

I wonder if he was physically and emotionally abuse when he was a kid.

[CatfishJohn]

09:15 AM on 04/30/2011

Heck, Ditka once punched in the face a fan in the crowd who simply wanted to shake his hand after he scored a Bearzzz touchdown...

[LebronJeremy]

09:39 PM on 04/29/2011

He was drinking da beers.

(I sincerely apologize to anyone who read that, but someone really had to do it.)

[Hay30]

05:36 PM on 04/29/2011

I think the biggest issue is in regards to why this is even being reported. Mike Ditka wasn't arrested/charged. His son was.

[Toby Fowler]

01:56 PM on 04/29/2011

This is news.Come on people,everybody who has a vehicle and drinks alcohol has driven while intoxicated by todays standards.That includes the law and judges.That's a total of about 90% of the world.If you deny that,then your just a two faced liar.

[Montcalms Revenge]

01:05 PM on 04/29/2011

Where are the Polish sausages?.... DAAA BEARS!!! ;-)

[WILLIEMOJORISIN]

12:22 PM on 04/29/2011

I can imagine the conversation started like this...do you know who I am ?

[Hey Lady]

05:22 PM on 05/01/2011

hahaha. I fan you for that!

[RJKERB08]

11:35 AM on 04/29/2011

Who would win in a fight, Ditka or God?

Trick question, Ditka is God.

DAAAAAAAAAAAAA BEARS

[WILLIEMOJORISIN]

12:21 PM on 04/29/2011

I don't care who you are , thats funny right there

[pepper1311]

11:32 AM on 04/29/2011

Drunken bumb.

[MWA1111]

11:25 AM on 04/29/2011

I've heard personal stories about these guys (Ditka family) from two independent sources. It's a regular occurrence for someone to be drunk and a fight to break out.

[smp276dp]

09:54 AM on 04/29/2011

Hey Mike smack him for being stupid

[Millie Lencioni]

09:45 AM on 04/29/2011

The real issue here is that Jr. expects to be let off BECAUSE of his name. He is really lucky he didn't kill somebody while driving that tank, while tanked.

[Aldyth]

08:33 AM on 04/29/2011

How 'bout a statement that I'm an adult and responsible for my own actions?

That, at least, would be something worthy of respect.

[nappyman]

07:19 AM on 04/29/2011

The article didn't say why the cops approached him. What was their probable cause for approaching him? They smelt him from the cruiser?

[Damnett]

09:02 AM on 04/29/2011

I'm pretty sure cops don't need a reason to approach anyone in a public place

[nappyman]

09:20 AM on 04/29/2011

I don't know if the parking lot for your apartment complex is a public space. And it still isn't routine for cops pull over and smell people.