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NFL Player Trevor Bates Arrested After Allegedly Punching A Cop So Hard It Gave Him A Concussion
Trevor Bates was initially taken to a Queens police station after allegedly trying to skip out on paying cab fare. Once there, things quickly escalated between the football player and police.
NFL player Trevor Bates underwent a psychological evaluation and is facing charges after allegedly skipping out on cab fare and then punching a police officer, seemingly out of the blue.
The 25-year-old linebacker for the Detroit Lions is now facing charges of second-degree assault, resisting arrest, theft of services, and obstructing governmental administration over an incident that began at a New York area hotel on Saturday, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a press release later in the day.
Police responded to a call at a Hampton Inn at around 1:30 a.m. and reportedly took Bates into custody for failing to pay a $32 cab fare from Manhattan to Queens, according to the release. Once at the police station, officers reportedly told Bates that he would likely be given a desk appearance ticket and allowed to leave, but the footballer “became increasingly agitated” and refused to let officers take his fingerprints, the office said.
Things then took a violent turn when Bates punched Sgt. James O’Brien in the face, momentarily blinding the officer and causing a concussion, The New York Post reports.
“Out of the clear blue sky, he just wailed on the sergeant. The sergeant said he never saw it coming,” Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins told the outlet.
O’ Brien, who had to get stitches above his eye, had already been on limited duty due to an injury at the time of the alleged assault, according to Fox News.
It reportedly took multiple officers and a taser to restrain the NFL player, who is 6-foot-2 and whose weight is in the neighborhood of 240 pounds.
Bates was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, and later transferred to Bellevue Hospital where he underwent a psychiatric evaluation, The Post reports. He is currently being held pending arraignment, and could be sentenced to probation or up to seven years in prison if convicted, according to the district attorney's office.
Bates has yet to comment publicly on his arrest. Bob Quinn, general manager for the Detroit Lions, confirmed in a statement shared via social media that the team is aware of Bates’ arrest and are "in the process of gathering more information."
Bates, a Maine native, joined the NFL as a seventh-round pick during the 2016 NFL draft and started his career with the Indianapolis Colts. He would go on to play for three more teams, to date.
[Photo: Getty Images]
