Walter Palmer, man who killed Cecil the Lion, charged with DWI

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EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Eden Prairie man once known for killing Cecil the Lion is accused of drunk driving, according to charges filed in Hennepin County Court.

Walter Palmer was charged earlier this week with DWI, careless driving and obstructing the legal process in connection with the May 26 incident. Palmer was arrested at his home, an address that matches the same Walter Palmer that killed the famous lion back in 2015 as part of a big-game hunt. He also has a Florida address that had been spray-painted with "Lion Killer" on the garage door.

FOX 9 reached out to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and Eden Prairie Police Department to confirm it was the same Walter Palmer who was arrested for DWI. Eden Prairie police did not respond.

Walter Palmer arrested for DWI

What we know:

According to the charges, Eden Prairie police responded at about 8:50 p.m. on May 26 to a report of a Porsche Cayenne driving all over the road and hitting multiple curbs in the area of Hennepin Town Road and Riverview Road. Authorities spoke with the driver of another vehicle who was following the car and reported the erratic driving. An officer pulled into the driveway of the home owned by Palmer, and he was identified as the driver of the Porsche.

The officer told Palmer they received a 911 call about how he was driving. He denied hitting multiple curbs, then stepped away from the officer, pointed his finger and said, "You didn’t see anything wrong though, did you? No. Nope. Okay. Thank you," the complaint states.

The complaint states the officer observed that Palmer smelled of alcohol. He asked Palmer how much alcohol he had consumed, to which Palmer said, "None." He then said, "Uh, I’m not driving." He said he wanted an attorney, and his car had been parked at his home for 20 minutes.

The complaint states Palmer walked away when the officer told him he had to perform field sobriety tests. The officer grabbed him, Palmer pulled away and said he wanted to call his wife. Palmer and the officer continued in a physical struggle before Palmer said, "I’m unconscious."

The complaint states the garage service door opened, and Palmer’s wife and son came out. They both pleaded with Palmer to listen to the officer. Palmer then said, "Why are you doing this? Because I’ve had a beer?"

Police spoke with the witness and his wife, who observed Palmer driving erratically and followed him to his home. He was the only one to get out of the Porsche at that time.

Authorities obtained a search warrant to get Palmer’s blood tested, and he refused.

Cecil the Lion

The backstory:

In July 2015, Palmer paid more than $50,000 to go on a big game hunt in Africa that resulted in the death of Cecil the Lion, one of the most beloved lions on Africa. Palmer killed the lion with a bow and arrow.

He was accused of illegally killing the popular lion in Zimbabwe. But officials dropped the charges after they were deemed too vague, and the circumstances didn't constitute a chargeable offense.