MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota Vikings linebacker Erin Henderson was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving Wednesday afternoon for the second time in six weeks, possibly sealing his fate with the team.
Henderson was arrested in Chanhassen, Minn., and booked into the Carver County Jail at 3:03 p.m., according to the county jail roster. Henderson refused to submit to a sobriety test, according to the roster, and faces four DWI charges, including a second-degree charge for refusing a test. He also was found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Police said Henderson crashed his black SUV into trees in a parking lot. He was taken into custody and eventually released after posting $12,000 cash bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 3.
He was also arrested on Nov. 19 and charged with drunken driving and possession of a controlled substance. He then left the team for several days for what he and former Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said at the time was an unrelated personal matter.
Henderson lost his middle linebacker spot following the first arrest, but he returned to the starting lineup in the Vikings' final game after a high ankle sprain ended Audie Cole's season.
On Monday, Henderson talked about the steps he felt he took to mature after his first arrest.
"I think I grew leaps and bounds as a player and a person as well," he said. "You start to learn a lot about yourself when things can go wrong or bad, if you're willing to try to learn, if you're willing to look in the mirror and figure things out. And I think I was able to do that."
The Vikings released a statement saying they are "aware of the matter involving Erin Henderson. We are continuing to gather information and will have further comment at the appropriate time."
