By james art 
A Birmingham City Council member arrested for DUI in a city vehicle in South Alabama over the weekend apologized Tuesday during the council’s regular meeting.
Councilman JT Moore, who is chairman of the Community Development Committee and a member of the Public Safety Committee, was pulled over on the side of Interstate 65 in the pre-dawn hours Sunday. He was in a city car at the time.
“One of my favorite books is ‘As a Man Thinks,’ and there’s a quote in the book that says, ‘circumstances don’t make the man, they reveal him to himself,'” Moore said.
“While I am not proud of the incident that occurred last weekend, I am proud to say that I have come forward today to take responsibility and accountability for my actions.”
“I want to say to my fellow council members, my family, Ward 4 and the city of Birmingham that I am truly sorry and ask for your forgiveness in this matter,” Moore said.
It was unclear Tuesday why Moore was in Creola. City council members cannot drive city vehicles under a 1967 state law.
Councilman Clinton Woods showed support for Moore before the meeting ended.
“I wanted to tell my colleague that I know it took a long time for him to show up this morning,” Woods said.
“After all, our mistakes and failures are not the end of the road. This is a bend in the road and I know you will do the work to move forward.
Creola Police Chief Shane Stringer said police received a call at 3:55 a.m. Sunday about a possible drunk driver on I-65 near mile marker 20. When officers arrived, they found a black Chevrolet Tahoe with a blue municipal tag pulled to the side of the interstate.
Stringer said the driver — later identified as Moore — was unconscious.
The officers, the chief said, were “banging on the window trying to get his attention.”
“Eventually he came to and they had to open the door,” Stringer said. “They could immediately smell alcohol.”
Officers began speaking with Moore and he admitted to officers that he had been drinking. Since Moore admitted to drinking, the chief said, the officers, for safety reasons, did not field sobriety test because they were on the interstate.
Moore was taken to the Saraland Police Department where he was given an alcohol test and a field sobriety test.
“He failed at all of the above,” Stringer said.
Moore was then booked into the Mobile Metro County Jail. He was released at 12:58 a.m. Sunday.
The vehicle was found to be registered to the City of Birmingham. It was pulled off the interstate.