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Former NFL Player Charged With Kidnapping Man In Mississippi, Forcing Him To Withdraw Money At ATM
Jerrell Powe, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans and Washington Commanders, was arrested with Gavin Bates for allegedly kidnapping a man in Laurel, Mississippi and making him withdraw money from his bank.
A former professional football player and a California man have been arrested for kidnapping in Mississippi.
Jerrell Powe, 35, a former defensive tackle for Ole Miss who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011, was arrested by police in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Jan. 12, according to jail records reviewed by Oxygen.com and the Associated Press. He is being held without bond in the Madison County Detention Center on one charge of kidnapping.
Police allege that Powe and a man named Gavin Bates kidnapped a man in Laurel, Mississippi — about 85 miles southeast of Jackson. The man was able to contact the police in Ridgeland, a northern suburb of Jackson, at some point and alleged that he'd been "forced to withdraw money" from his bank, according to Jackson NBC affiliate WLBT.
Ridgeland officers then responded to a Chase Bank and apprehended Powe and Bates.
Bates, whose home address is listed as Roseville, California — a northern suburb of Sacramento — faces both a kidnapping charge and a controlled substance violation charge, according to jail records and WLBT. He is also being held without bond.
Powe lives about 45 miles east of Laurel in Buckatunna, according to WLBT. He grew up in nearby Waynesboro
Police have not released a motive in the case, but say the victim is safe and the investigation is ongoing.
Powe left Ole Miss before graduation and played for the Chiefs for three seasons, but took the field in only 12 games, according to the AP. He signed with the Houston Texans in March 2014 and played in 16 games, but joined the Washington, D.C. football team now called the Commanders the following year. He was cut from the roster before the start of the season. He announced his retirement from the NFL in 2017, NBC News reported.
Both Powe and Bates were due in court for a bond hearing on Tuesday.
