
Corey Harrison, familiar to viewers of the History Channel’s hit series “Pawn Stars” as Big Hoss, found himself in the grip of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police in the early hours of a recent Friday. Harrison, a popular personality on the reality television show, was apprehended under suspicion of impaired driving, as reported by TMZ.
The 40-year-old was reportedly pulled over around 1 a.m., his car’s irregular movement on the road attracting the attention of law enforcement officers. Upon being interrogated about any potential intake of alcohol, Harrison admitted to having a single drink nearly seven hours prior during a flight from Minnesota. His purpose for being in Las Vegas was to oversee some short-term rental properties under his management.
Following his discussion with the officers, Harrison consented to undergo a field sobriety test. Subsequently, he requested the administration of a breathalyzer test, a request that was allegedly not fulfilled owing to a malfunctioning unit according to him. Harrison reported being handcuffed then and there for failing the field test, leading to his subsequent transportation to a police station. To his surprise, he was informed that another breathalyzer at the station was non-operational.
As per Harrison’s account, he was given an ultimatum- either take a blood test or prepare to be detained for the entire weekend. Harrison accepted the test and was finally released by the police, but only after a waiting period of eight hours. He also revealed that his driver’s license was not suspended.
This recent incident adds to Harrison’s rather clean legal record, the only exception being his overnight detention in 2011 concerning a bar fight. He was accused of causing physical harm to a deputy and a security guard at the bar during that altercation.
Born into a family business already steeped in heritage, Harrison began working at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in downtown Las Vegas from the tender age of 9. The pawn shop was initially started by his grandfather, Richard “Old Man” Harrison, and later passed down to Harrison’s father, Rick. The establishment also boasts the employment of Harrison’s childhood friend, Austin “Chumlee” Russell.
Harrison’s rise to fame occurred in 2009 when he became a regular on “Pawn Stars.” That very year, the reality series based on his family’s pawn shop swiftly became History Channel’s top-rated show and the second most popular reality show on television, only surpassed by “Jersey Shore”.