Rocker Wes Scantlin: 'I was sober during airport arrest'

Puddle Of Mudd rocker Wes Scantlin has protested his innocence following his arrest for public intoxication on Tuesday (04Sep12), insisting he was "completely sober" when he was handcuffed at a Texas airport.

The singer was escorted off a JetBlue plane bound for Los Angeles during an emergency stop at the Bergstrom International Airport in Austin after he reportedly quarrelled with a flight attendant while drunk.

Scantlin is due to attend an arraignment hearing at an Austin court on 3 October (12), but the star is adamant he was not at fault and claims the drama erupted when he simply asked a steward if he could purchase a beer.

He tells TMZ.com, "All I know is I got on a plane, I took a nap for two-and-a-half hours, I woke up, felt like getting a beer and the guy (the flight attendant) got an attitude, and that was it man... It was this really weird, whole dilemma...

"I wasn't drinking, I was sober. I was arrested for being sober on an airplane trying to purchase... a beer. Police came along, cuffed me. I was completely, completely sober."

Scantlin also claims he was injured during his arrest and has shown off bruises he alleges were sustained when he was taken into custody.

He adds, "I don't know what they did man, it hurts. It's crazy, it was terrible."

The rocker is no stranger to the law - he pleaded guilty to felony cocaine possession in July (12) and was told by a judge to avoid all trouble for 18 months if he wanted his criminal record to stay clean.