Hope Solo Was Arrested On Child Abuse Charges After She Was Found Passed Out In A Car With Her Children

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Hope Solo, a former goalkeeper for the US women's national soccer team, was arrested after she was found passed out behind the wheel of her car with her 2-year-old twins in a Walmart parking lot in North Carolina.

Police in Winston-Salem arrested the 40-year-old Thursday on charges of driving while impaired, resisting a public officer, and misdemeanor child abuse, the Associated Press reported.

Solo had allegedly been passed out for more than an hour, with the engine of the vehicle running, while her two young children were in the backseat when she was noticed by a passerby.

The AP reported that a responding officer with the Winston-Salem Police Department arrived at the scene and could smell alcohol on her breath. When he attempted to administer a field sobriety test, Solo refused, and a blood sample was taken instead.

Solo was released from jail and is scheduled to appear in court June 28.

Rich Nichols, an attorney for the double Olympic gold medalist, posted a statement on Solo’s Instagram account Friday, saying there was more to the story than what the charges suggested, but his client could not speak about what happened.

“On the advice of counsel, Hope can’t speak about this situation, but she wants everyone to know that her kids are her life, that she was released immediately and is now at home with her family, that the story is more sympathetic than the initial charges suggest, and that she looks forward to her opportunity to defend these charges,” Nichols said.

Solo posted another statement to Instagram on Saturday, saying, "Our kids are strong, intelligent, happy and vibrant, and we are present everyday giving them the best life possible."

She added that she "will be able to share the facts in due time."

Solo, who is married to former NFL player Jerramy Stevens, gave birth to twins in 2020 after eight years of marriage.

The pair’s relationship began with controversy when, after two months of dating, Stevens was arrested for domestic violence.

Police reportedly used a stun gun to break up the fight between Solo and Stevens. He was released because of a lack of evidence in the case and was never charged. They got married the following day.

Solo is a highly decorated athlete with a world championship and two Olympic gold medals to her name, but it all came to an end when she formally retired in 2016.

The decision came after she received a second suspension and was fired from the US Women’s National Team following an incident in which she called the Swedish team "cowards" for their defensive tactics when they clashed at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

She has also had frequent run-ins with law enforcement.

In 2014, Solo was arrested after an incident at her home in Seattle where she was accused of assaulting her sister and her nephew. She pleaded "not guilty" to domestic violence charges that were later dismissed.

In another incident involving her husband, the soccer star was handed a 30-day suspension after Stevens was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. Solo was with her husband when he was apprehended while driving the US Soccer team van, which ultimately led to her penalty.

Solo is due to be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame on May 21 at a ceremony in Frisco, Texas.

The organization did not comment when BuzzFeed News reached out to ask if it still intended to honor her.

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