SHEFFIELD LAKE — Cleveland Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo was charged with DUI early Monday after tests showed his blood-alcohol content was more than 2½ times the legal limit, police said.

Choo

Choo was pulled over about 2:25 a.m. after he was spotted weaving in the 5500 block of Lake Road in Sheffield Lake by an officer who was on patrol in the area, according to a police report.

He left the city jail on a personal bond a few hours after his arrest and, as he was leaving the police station, he threw a digital camera he had onto the police station’s concrete parking lot, destroying it.

“From what the officer told me, he was going through all kinds of different mood swings, he was real friendly and nice, then he’d get real angry and when he was walking out he threw his camera down and busted it,” Sheffield Lake Police Chief Larry Bliss said.

Choo, a key cog in the middle of the Indians lineup a year ago, has been struggling at the plate for much of the year, even as his team continues winning. He was in Oakland on Tuesday as the Indians started a six-game road trip against the A’s and then the Angels.

“We are aware of the incident with Shin-Soo Choo and have spoken to him about it,” Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said in a statement on the team website. “The Indians organization takes these issues very seriously and we are disappointed in the matter.”

Choo was driving down Ferndale Avenue in a 2007 Cadillac SUV when he pulled over to ask an officer who was on patrol in the area for directions to Avon Lake, where Choo lives, according to a police report.

After offering Choo directions, the officer followed him to make sure he did not get lost again, but Choo pulled down a side street a few minutes later and put his hazards on so the officer would give him additional instructions on how to get home. The officer said he did not smell any alcohol on Choo while he spoke to him, according to the report.

While following him again, the officer noticed Choo’s vehicle cross the double yellow center line in the 5500 block of Lake Road then come to a flashing yellow light and almost come to a complete stop before continuing eastbound, according to the police report.

The vehicle then drove onto a bike path. While moving back into the road, it ended up crossing over the double yellow lines again, the report said. That’s when the officer conducted a traffic stop.

The South Korean-born Choo failed several sobriety tests, including not being able to count past “five one thousand” and using the wrong fingers to touch his nose. He was placed under arrest and while at the station blew a 0.201 on the breath test. Ohio law deems a driver too impaired to drive at 0.08.

Choo was given a ride home to Avon Lake by a patrolman using his cruiser, which is something commonly done with people charged with DUI if they live close, Bliss said.

“Normally we do it if they live close,” he said. “If they live in Lorain, Avon Lake or Sheffield Lake and we can’t get ahold of anybody.”

Choo’s white vehicle had damage on the bumper area, including green paint and scratches, according to the report.

Contact Adam Wright at 329-7155 or awright@chroniclet.com.

Choo

SHEFFIELD LAKE — Cleveland Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo was charged with DUI early Monday after a breathalyzer test revealed his Blood Alcohol Content was more than 2½ times the legal limit.

Choo was pulled over about 2:25 a.m. after he was spotted weaving in the 5500 block of Lake Road in Sheffield Lake by an officer who was on patrol in the area, according to a police report.

He left city jail after on a personal bond a few hours after his arrest.

The South Korean-born Choo failed several sobriety tests, including not being able to count past “five one thousand” and using the wrong fingers to touch his nose. He was placed under arrest at while at the station blew a .201 BAC on a breathalyzer test. The legal BAC limit in Ohio is .08.

Choo’s white vehicle had damage on the bumper area, including green paint and scratches, according to the report.

He is the second Cleveland player arrested for DUI this season. Outfielder Austin Kearns was charged prior to spring training with DUI in Kentucky.

Choo is with the Indians in Oakland and is expected to be in the lineup for the series opener with the A’s tonight at 10:07.

Choo issued the following statement:

“I sincerely apologize to my family, teammates, fans and the Indians’ organization for the attention stemming from this matter, however I am hopeful that this incident will not be a distraction to the Indians organization while we remain focused on continuing to play winning baseball. Since this is a legal matter, I look forward to it being resolved within the court system as soon as possible.”

YORK TWP. — A Grafton man was one of two people killed in a head-on crash overnight in Medina County.

Jeffery A. Bristow, 46, died overnight after being transported to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, according to the State Highway Patrol.

David A. Smith, 22, of Brunswick, was also pronounced dead upon arrival at Medina Hospital due to unspecified injuries he sustained in the crash, according to a report from the Highway Patrol’s Medina post. The crash occurred about 10:11 p.m. Thursday.

Isabelle J. Striker, 18, of Medina, was listed in stable condition after being transported by emergency helicopter to MetroHealth. She was a passenger in the car driven by Smith.

The driver of the second vehicle, Grafton resident Jeffery A. Bristow, 46, died overnight after being transported to Cleveland MetroHealth, according to the OHP report.

Smith was driving westbound along West Smith Road in a 1999 red Ford Mustang when Bristow’s 2007 purple Dodge Charger heading east drove left of the center line and struck Smith’s car head on, the report states. West Smith Road was reportedly wet.

Adam Skinner, a witness of the crash, said this morning that he does not believe Bristow drifted left of center along West Smith Road.

“He was exactly behind me the whole time, and I had to break right to avoid (Smith’s) car,” said Skinner, who was driving to work Thursday night at Carlisle Brake & Friction on Lake Road.

Skinner noted he heard a “big boom” from his truck and stopped to assist crash victims.

“Both cars were pretty mauled,” he said. “I was there until the LifeFlight.”

Alcohol or drug use are not apparent factors in the crash, according to the Highway Patrol. The accident remains under investigation.

In addition to the Highway Patrol, the Medina County Sheriff’s Office and York Township and Erhart Township fire departments responded to the accident.

Contact Steve Grazier at (330) 721-40-12 or sgrazier@medina-gazette.com.

LORAIN — Lorain Schools Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson is among nine finalists to become CEO of the Cleveland Schools.

Atkinson

Atkinson made the cut on Tuesday from the original 126 candidates, according to Roseann Canfora, a district spokeswoman. The nine candidates, who were chosen by PROACT Search, a Chicago-based school headhunting company, will now be reviewed by a local search committee.

Atkinson, who didn’t return a phone call late Tuesday night, came to Lorain in 2007 and formerly served as an associate or deputy superintendent in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., and Kansas City, Mo., school districts. After her first two years at the helm in Lorain, Atkinson was granted a five-year contract in 2009, giving her an approximately $200,000 salary plus a monthly annuity and retirement contributions.

At the time, board lawyer Anthony Giardini said the board eliminated a clause in the old contract that forbade Atkinson from seeking work elsewhere and said that the board decided that “instead of using a sword, we’re using honey.”

Atkinson’s job search comes as voters in Lorain face a 23.83-mill renewal levy next month which would not collect any additional taxes. Even if the levy passes, Lorain City Schools still face an $8 million deficit in the next school year.

Atkinson has received mixed reviews from Lorain Board of Education members. Board member Paul Biber praised her for helping to boost graduation rates and instill discipline while board member Jim Smith labeled her a micromanager and blamed her for lagging student achievement test scores.

Atkinson and the other candidates will be interviewed by the 28-member local search committee which includes clergy, parents, school administrators and teachers.

“It’s a pretty good cross section of the school community,” Canfaro said.

The committee will narrow the candidate list to five and eventually to two or three finalists, Canfaro said. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and the school board will choose the new CEO, who will replace Eugene Sanders who retired Feb. 1.

The new CEO is expected to be announced by June 1, Canfaro said. The search process will include background checks and committee visits to the finalists’ workplaces.

“There’s going to be a lot of scrutiny and diligence in picking the person for this important position,” Canfaro said.

Reporter Cindy Leise contributed to this story. Contact Evan Goodenow at 329-7129 or egoodenow@chroniclet.com.