I was perplexed by the online response to the arrest June 30 of former University of Hawaii football coach June Jones on suspicion of drunken driving.

There really wasn’t much to the story. Jones was stopped by police at 9:28 p.m. at the corner of Kilauea and Waialae avenues while driving home from dinner, and was released later that night on $500 bail.

“I was speeding and got stopped,” Jones, 70, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “That’s all I need to say right now.”

The lack of lurid details didn’t stop anonymous commenters from generating their own as the story spread nationally because of Jones’ status as a former coach of several NFL teams in addition to his record run at UH, which ended in 2007 with a 12-1 record and a Sugar Bowl appearance.

His character was attacked, and a previous traffic accident in which Jones almost killed himself running into a concrete pillar was rehashed. Old rumors of romantic indiscretions were floated anew.

His indisputably high-end coaching skills were disparaged, and critics took side trips into ripping current UH coach Timmy Chang as well as former coaches Nick Rolovich and Norm Chow.

The argument drifted into politics as Democrats and Republicans were variously blamed generally for intoxicated driving, and Joe Biden and Donald Trump specifically.

Commentators hiding behind keyboards and pseudonyms called Jones a clown, a quitter and a narcissist. The old chestnut of making fun of his name for sounding feminine was pulled out of the fire.

Many assumed he would use his fame to pull strings and escape the charges.

Reading it all left me wondering, why do we have to act this way?

Jones is a prominent person, yes, and has often been controversial for his strong personality and failed attempts to reclaim the UH football coaching position.

But there was nothing in the story to suggest this was anything other than a routine case of allegedly driving under the influence. Why can’t we have the decency anymore to let it play out and see what happens before unleashing malevolent attacks?

Many commenters compared the Jones case to the DUI charges against former state Reps. Sharon Har and Matt LoPresti that cost them both reelection.

But they were elected officials holding positions of public trust, who had taken oaths to conduct themselves according to the highest standards. Jones is a semiretired football coach.

Police described Har and LoPresti as being argumentative at the scene, and their cases were controversial because they got off on technicalities. There was no indication in the news stories that Jones’ behavior with police was untoward, and his case has yet to be adjudicated.

I suppose gossip about the failings of famous people always occurred at barbershops and laundromats. It’s just in relatively recent times that online forums enable such easy, anonymous and far more malicious trashing of people to mass audiences.

It’s as if everybody gets their chance to play the obnoxious loudmouth at the bar — but without the risk of being punched in the face.

It’s hard to see how we’re the better for this new societal ugliness.

Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com.