ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Friends of a University of New Mexico baseball player tried to convince police not to arrest the athlete for a DWI. Meanwhile, the suspect name-dropped his politician father to officers.

“I stopped you because you ran that red light,” an officer said.

Police pulled over a group of young people last month in downtown. They told police they were leaving Effex Nightclub on Central.

“Did you have any alcohol tonight, Zachary?”
“No, sir,” the driver told police.

The officer did not buy the driver’s story.

“There are his beers in the seat,” an officer said.

The driver then made it clear he was a college athlete.

“Yeah, I play baseball here at UNM,” the driver said.

Zachary Doak is a sophomore for the University of New Mexico baseball team. He played in several games in the 2019 season.

The student-athlete struck out on every single field sobriety test and said he could not say his ABCs due to dyslexia.

“You did not do the turn correctly,” the officer said. “I see it in your eyes. You did not count out loud at all during your one-leg stand test. You were looking forward at times instead of looking down like I told you to,” the officer said.

Doak went back and forth with the officer on whether he would take a breathalyzer test.

“I am probably just going to have to arrest you because you won’t give me an answer,” the officer said.

When he did agree, he blew .12, over the legal limit.

“I am just trying to get home, man,” Doak said. “But you are operating the motor vehicle,” the officer responded.

“Is it okay to have one of my friends drive back?” Doak asked. “Not right now…” the officer responded.

Three other people were in the car. One said he was Doak’s baseball teammate, who tried to convince police not to arrest Doak. “Is there any way you all could take it easy on him?”

In the back of the police car, Doak brings up his politician father, who is the former Oklahoma insurance commissioner.

“My dad is in politics and preaches about DWI and everything,” Doak said.

But nothing was getting him out of this. “I am not a stupid person either,” Doak said. “I shouldn’t have even taken the risk in the first place.

UNM’s athletic department said Doak will not be on the team for 2020. A source tells KRQE News 13 that was a result of the arrest.