Lou Diamond Phillips Makes Publicly Apology Over DWI Arrest

Lou Diamond Phillips issued a public apology Friday for his DWI arrest in his hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas. His comments came hours after his release from the San Patricio County Sheriff's Office.

The 55-year-old actor's apology was included in his special guest speaker appearance at the "Voices of South Texas" event.

Phillips, whose breakthrough performance came in 1987 for the Ritchie Valens biopic "La Bamba," was arrested in Portland, Texas, about 1:30 a.m. He pulled up behind a police car and asked for directions and the officer believed him to be drunk.

Phillips was administered a series of sobriety tests, which he failed. His blood alcohol concentration registered at 0.2 percent, more than double the legal driving limit in Texas. He was released on a $2,500 bond.

"I want to sincerely apologize for an incident this morning. Some of you may have heard about that," Phillips told the event's crowd Friday, according to local publication the Caller-Times. "I am here to promote and celebrate this amazing event here in my hometown of Corpus Christi, and if anything that I have done distracts from that or diminishes that, I sincerely apologize."

The crowd applauded Phillips' speech, with one person adding: "You're human!"

"It's just another DWI arrest for us," Police Chief Mark Cory told KIII-TV, an ABC affiliate in Corpus Christi on Friday. "It doesn't matter who an individual is or what their status is in life."

Texas has been serious about cracking down on drunk driving. The state led the nation in 2013 with deaths caused by drunk drivers with 1,337. The number dropped to 1,014 in 2014. Houston had the highest number of fatalities statewide that stemmed from drunk driving accidents.

DWI penalties in Texas involve age and license type, among other factors. Fines and surcharges, community service, imprisonment, a DWI educational program and increased car insurance payments are common forms of repercussions that follow a DWI arrest.