Newly released body cam footage, shows DUI arrest of Radford men’s basketball coach

Radford Police body cam video shows what happened during Sunday’s traffic stop.

Darris Nichols, of Radford, was arrested and charged with a DUI on Sunday and as we reported earlier this week, his BAC was measured at 0.25, triple the legal limit, according to court records. He was also sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 178 suspended, and must pay a $2,500 fine.

In the 911 call, a woman claims she is visiting from out of town.

“A guy just came to our house on Hercules Street, and he is on something. He rang the doorbell. ... He was really disoriented, saying he was looking for the revelation or something. He wasn’t making any sense,” the woman told dispatch.

The caller said that they said no thank you, and the man eventually left the scene and went towards Pershing and Arnold avenues. She went on to tell the dispatcher that he was in a dark SUV and driving very slowly.

“He definitely shouldn’t be behind the wheel,” she said.

The dispatcher then said they would send someone to the area.

The woman then called back and said that her sister just told her his name was Darris and that they couldn’t understand his last name.

After getting the 911 call, an officer pulled Nichols over and asked him to get out of the car. He then asked if he would be comfortable taking field sobriety tests — but Nichols refuses, and was taken into custody.

Officer: “You say you’re declining to do any tests?”

Nichols: “Yes.”

Officer: “Okay, I’m going to go ahead and place you under arrest. Put your hands behind your back.”

When Nichols asked why he was being arrested, the officer responded: “Because I smell the heavy odor of alcohol coming from your breath ... you have slurred speech, and you’re extremely unsteady on your feet.”

Both the 911 call and the body cam footage were released by Jenni Goodman, director of communications for Radford. WSLS received a shortened version of the 911 call. 10 News also edited the body cam footage for length and clarity, which was about an hour and 10 minutes in its entirety.