Inside the Tiger Woods arrest: What bodycam video shows as investigators scrutinize what led to crash

(CNN) — Newly released body camera footage capturing the moments before and after Tiger Woods was arrested following a rollover crash in Florida offers a more textured account of the encounter, adding new layers to what deputies say led them to conclude he was impaired, while also surfacing new details about his behavior after the crash.

Woods struck a trailer while driving on Jupiter Island north of Miami on March 27, causing his SUV to flip onto its side, officials say. Woods told a deputy he did not notice the other vehicle slowing down because he was looking at his phone and changing the radio station, according to an arrest affidavit released Tuesday.

But the footage released Thursday highlights a series of small but notable behaviors from his composed demeanor despite errors on field sobriety tests to unexpected remarks, painting a fuller picture of what led to his arrest.

Here are some key takeaways based on CNN’s review so far.

A series of small missteps builds the impairment case

The footage, from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office published by CNN affiliate WPBF, shows Woods — whose legal first name is Eldrick —undergoing multiple field sobriety exercises, where deputies appear to focus on a pattern of missteps rather than a single failure.

He’s seen struggling to follow instructions — moving his head during a vision test when asked to keep still and then miscounting during a coordination sequence that involves stacking his fists, clapping and counting aloud. A sheriff’s deputy in Martin County later wrote that Woods showed certain physical signs, including bloodshot, glassy eyes and “extremely” dilated pupils.

At one point, investigators find two white pills in Woods’ pocket, a video shows.

“At this time, I do believe your normal faculties are impaired, OK?” a deputy said while placing him in handcuffs. “And you’re under an unknown substance, OK, so at this time you are under arrest for DUI.”

Woods told deputies he had not consumed any alcohol but had taken “a few” prescription medications earlier that day, according to his arrest affidavit. The white pills in his pocket were identified as hydrocodone, the affidavit said, a prescription opioid and easily addictive drug used to treat severe, chronic pain and can cause slowed breathing.

A breath test taken at the Martin County Jail registered 0.000 on both samples, indicating no alcohol was detected on Woods’ breath, the affidavit says. But he refused to submit to a urine test to determine if chemical or controlled substances were in his system.

Taken together, those moments form a basis for the investigators’ conclusion that Woods’ “normal faculties” were impaired — an assessment built on an accumulation of factors, not one decisive error.

Phone use, a mysterious call, and unanswered questions

Newly reviewed body camera video footage published by WPBF adds a surprising detail: Woods is seen walking along the road after the crash appearing to end a phone call, and moments later says he had just been speaking with “the president.”

The White House has not responded to CNN’s request for information to determine whether any call took place that day between Woods and President Donald Trump, who later publicly expressed concern and called Woods a “good friend.”

“I feel so badly,” Trump told reporters Friday. “He’s got some difficulty. There was an accident and that’s all I know.”

The 82-time PGA Tour winner is charged with driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test — both misdemeanors. Woods was not charged with a phone-related offense.

Woods, who was not injured in the crash, has pleaded not guilty, according to court documents.

Woods remains alert under questioning

Woods appears composed, from the moment he is confronted by sheriff’s deputies and throughout the entire interaction.

In the footage, Woods is seen kneeling next to the roadway, not far from his SUV, which is still lying on its side.

“I looked down at my phone, and all of a sudden — boom,” Woods calmly told a deputy, who advised Woods that a medic would “come and check you out.”

He then tells deputies he had not been drinking — consistent with the later breath test showing no alcohol in his system. When asked about the medication, Woods’ response is mostly redacted in the audio and in the affidavit.

Following his arrest, Woods can be seen sitting, without visible distress, in the backseat of a sheriff cruiser, additional sheriff’s office video shared by WPBF shows.

A dash camera captured Woods sarcastically saying “this is fun” after he was arrested. He’s seen on camera sweating while sitting in the backseat of a patrol vehicle, when a deputy asks, “are you cool back there?”, to which he replies “nope.”

The deputy then turns on the air conditioner and asks Woods if he can feel the air from the air conditioner. Woods is seen later on covering his head and body with a blanket.

The hood-of-the-car moment marks a clear shift

One of the most telling sequences shows Woods seated on the hood of a patrol car during sobriety testing. The scene captures the moments when deputies move from assessing the crash to assessing him. Shortly after, Woods is handcuffed as a deputy tells him he is under arrest for DUI.

In the video, Woods can be seen wearing a blue polo shirt and leaning against the patrol car while failing the sobriety tests. At one point, Woods tightly shuts his eyes while having to stack his fists, clap, and count.

While seated in the back of the cruiser, Woods is seen hiccupping and intermittently closing his eyes, at one point leaning back and keeping them shut for several seconds before facing forward again.

Along with the pills found in his pocket and deputies’ notes of his bloodshot eyes, sweating and hiccuping, these moments offer a fuller picture of what deputies noted about Woods’ performance and behavior that day.

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CNN’s Chenelle Woody, Caroll Alvarado, Jillian Sikes, Taylor Galgano Graham Hurley and Jill Martin contributed to this report.