By Associated Press, 4/19/2004 01:35
QUINCY, Mass. (AP) Florida police arrested New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law after he allegedly lead police on a foot chase through a popular nightclub district in Miami Beach, Fla., according to the Patriot Ledger of Quincy.
Law was driving his 2004 Rolls-Royce early Saturday morning in the South Beach section of the city when an officer flagged him down for a lane violation, police said.
The 30-year-old Pro Bowl player initially pulled over, but police said he sped off, prompting them to chase him until he stopped again. The officers then told Law to put his hands behind his back, and he ''became agitated'' and ran, they said.
He also allegedly told the two officers ''not to touch him because he is a professional athlete,'' police said.
Law, a Quincy resident, has been charged with failure to obey a police officer and resisting an officer, both misdemeanors, the newspaper said.
Police took Law to Dade County Jail after his arrest, but he no longer is in police custody and presumably still in Florida, said Patriots spokesman Stacey James early Monday morning.
''We're aware of the reports. We're going to work internally to gather more information,'' James told The Associated Press after learning about the arrest earlier from the Patriot Ledger.
Law reportedly was released on a $1,500 cash bond.
Law could not be reached for comment by the newspaper, and his phone number is unpublished.
One of the officers allegedly used excessive force and tossed Law's wallet in his face, Law's agent Carl Poston told The Boston Globe.
''Basically, it was a routine traffic stop that turned into a misunderstanding due to an overzealous police officer,'' Poston said, adding his client is ''weighing his options.''
In December 2000, Law had his only other reported conflict with police as a Patriots player when he U.S. Customs officials found several pills of the illegal drug Ecstasy in his bag after he was leaving Canada with two other players.
Law said the drug belonged to his cousin, but paid a $700 administrative fine at the scene and was released. There was no further prosecution in Niagara Falls, N.Y., where he had been detained.
That same year, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick suspended Law for the season finale against the Miami Dolphins, a move that cost Law his $87,500 paycheck for one game.
More recently, Law has said he no longer wants to play for New England because of a dispute over his contract, which has two more years. He wanted an extension that would have made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, but negotiations have stalled.
In 1995, Law was New England's first-round draft pick, and four years later, he signed a $50 million contract, one of the richest in league history.
QUINCY, Mass. (AP) Florida police arrested New England Patriots cornerback Ty Law after he allegedly lead police on a foot chase through a popular nightclub district in Miami Beach, Fla., according to the Patriot Ledger of Quincy.
Law was driving his 2004 Rolls-Royce early Saturday morning in the South Beach section of the city when an officer flagged him down for a lane violation, police said.
The 30-year-old Pro Bowl player initially pulled over, but police said he sped off, prompting them to chase him until he stopped again. The officers then told Law to put his hands behind his back, and he ''became agitated'' and ran, they said.
He also allegedly told the two officers ''not to touch him because he is a professional athlete,'' police said.
Law, a Quincy resident, has been charged with failure to obey a police officer and resisting an officer, both misdemeanors, the newspaper said.
Police took Law to Dade County Jail after his arrest, but he no longer is in police custody and presumably still in Florida, said Patriots spokesman Stacey James early Monday morning.
''We're aware of the reports. We're going to work internally to gather more information,'' James told The Associated Press after learning about the arrest earlier from the Patriot Ledger.
Law reportedly was released on a $1,500 cash bond.
Law could not be reached for comment by the newspaper, and his phone number is unpublished.
One of the officers allegedly used excessive force and tossed Law's wallet in his face, Law's agent Carl Poston told The Boston Globe.
''Basically, it was a routine traffic stop that turned into a misunderstanding due to an overzealous police officer,'' Poston said, adding his client is ''weighing his options.''
In December 2000, Law had his only other reported conflict with police as a Patriots player when he U.S. Customs officials found several pills of the illegal drug Ecstasy in his bag after he was leaving Canada with two other players.
Law said the drug belonged to his cousin, but paid a $700 administrative fine at the scene and was released. There was no further prosecution in Niagara Falls, N.Y., where he had been detained.
That same year, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick suspended Law for the season finale against the Miami Dolphins, a move that cost Law his $87,500 paycheck for one game.
More recently, Law has said he no longer wants to play for New England because of a dispute over his contract, which has two more years. He wanted an extension that would have made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, but negotiations have stalled.
In 1995, Law was New England's first-round draft pick, and four years later, he signed a $50 million contract, one of the richest in league history.
