UFC's Jon Jones Appears To Threaten Officer In Shocking DUI Arrest Video

Newly released police bodycam footage has shed light on the February traffic stop that ultimately led to a criminal charge against UFC legend Jon Jones.

The video, captured by the Albuquerque Police Department on February 24, shows officers responding to a single-car accident involving a woman who appeared intoxicated and partially undressed in the passenger seat of a wrecked vehicle.

According to the video, the unidentified woman claimed that Jones had been driving the vehicle but fled the scene following the crash. At one point, she is seen calling a man on her phone and handing the device to the officer, stating it was Jon Jones on the other end of the line.

The man on the phone, whose voice strongly resembles Jones', appeared to be heavily intoxicated.

He rambled incoherently and allegedly made a chilling statement to the officer: "My brothers, they kill people for way less." The officer quickly called for backup, later telling colleagues, "I got threatened over the phone."

Authorities attempted to follow up by calling the man back, sparking further conversation. Detectives then spent several weeks investigating the matter before filing a misdemeanor charge against Jones on June 17 for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident.

TMZ Sports obtained the video.

Jon Jones' attorney, Christopher Dodd, fiercely criticized the police response and the investigation in a statement to TMZ Sports.

"Jon was not driving that night; he wasn't in the car," Dodd said. "It appears that an intoxicated woman used a false allegation against Jon to avoid being arrested for DWI, and the police fell for it. Based on the criminal complaint, it looks like they went so far as to seek a warrant for Jon's cell phone records while conducting a misdemeanor traffic investigation. I have never heard of such a thing."

Dodd continued, "It is truly unbelievable that the police would waste this amount of resources on such a case. The only thing I can think of is that the police were targeting Jon for improper purposes. We will get to the bottom of it and make sure that this baseless case is dismissed."

The now-former UFC heavyweight champion announced his retirement on Saturday, just hours after UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the news while speaking to reporters in Baku, Azerbaijan.

At the same time, a report from Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal revealed that Jones is facing a criminal summons filed earlier in the week for allegedly leaving the scene of a traffic accident.

Despite the legal bombshell, Jones made no mention of the summons in his official retirement statement. Instead, he focused on his future, writing, "The best is yet to come," and expressing his desire to "continue to contribute to the sport and inspire others in new ways."

Jones last defended his title against 42-year-old Stipe Miocic in November. Since then, he has repeatedly dodged efforts by the UFC to schedule a unification bout with rising star Tom Aspinall, a fight fans had long anticipated. Rather than press for the match, Jones appeared to mock Aspinall's title hopes, seemingly with the UFC's approval.

According to a police report tied to the recent summons, a woman told authorities she arrived at Jones' residence around 11:30 p.m. and initially expressed hesitation about drinking with the former champ. She cited previous incidents where he allegedly made her drive under the influence.

After receiving assurances, she claimed she drank alcohol and took psilocybin mushrooms with him. Following what was described as a "restroom incident requiring a change of clothing," the woman said she removed her pants with the intention of having Jones drive her home to retrieve fresh clothes.

Her next memory, according to the report, was waking up at the scene of a car crash, with Jones being the last person she remembered behind the wheel. Police say Jones then called the woman's phone 13 times and sent "numerous texts" from the time of the accident until the next morning.

For longtime fans, the situation feels eerily familiar. Jones's first reign as UFC light heavyweight champion also ended after a hit-and-run accident in 2015.

In that incident, Jones fled the scene after crashing into a pregnant woman's car, only to return briefly to grab a handful of cash from his vehicle before disappearing again.

Jon Jones is expected to appear in court for a hearing on the most recent matter on July 24.