BYU football wide receiver pleads not guilty to DUI

Neil Pau’u. Photo: Utah County

PROVO, Utah, June 21, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A Brigham Young University football player entered a not guilty plea this week after a June 8 incident that left him charged with DUI.

Neil Pau’u, a wide receiver in his Junior year, is charged with:

  • Driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, a class B misdemeanor
  • Altering/defacing/knocking down/removing traffic control device, a class C misdemeanor

A probable cause statement filed by a BYU Police officer says the incident happened at 12:48 a.m. June 8.

“I observed a vehicle drive right next to and around my patrol vehicle with rear emergency lights on, drive right through the barricade/yellow tape to keep vehicles out due to newly paved road,” the statement says. “Vehicle ran over the barricade/yellow tape onto the newly paved road. The vehicle stopped on BYU parking lot 38.

“While talking with the male driver and only occupant, I could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle. Driver identified as Neil Pauu by his California license stated he had two jungle juice.”

Field sobriety tests were administered.

“He (Pau’u) was placed under arrest for DUI and submitted to a chemical breath test with BAC of .147,” the statement says. That’s almost three times Utah’s legal blood alcohol limited of .05.

Brigham Young University’s honor code prohibits the drinking of alcohol, among other things. A spokesman for BYU said officials are looking into the case.

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