NFL Linebacker Punches Cop After Cab Fare Arrest: Prosecutor

An NFL linebacker attacked an NYPD sergeant after he was arrested for refusing to pay for a cab ride, prosecutors say.

Detroit Lions player Trevor Bates, 25, of Maine, allegedly refused to pay a $32 fare around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday after taking a yellow cab ride from Manhattan to his hotel in Queens, Queen’s District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.

Bates was arrested after his driver called the police, the DA’s office said.

The NFL player was taken to the 115th Precinct, where officers told him he’d receive a desk appearance ticket and be able to leave as long as he didn’t have any outstanding warrants, according to the DA’s office.

At that point, however, Bates “became increasingly agitated,” according to prosecutors.

When an NYPD sergeant tried to calm him down, Bates allegedly punched him in the face, according to the DA’s office. Officers used a stun gun on Bates “to subdue him” after the alleged attack, the DA’s office said.

The sergeant was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for a concussion and got three stitches over his left eye, the DA’s office said.

Bates is expected to be charged with second-degree assault, obstructing governmental administration, theft of services and resisting arrest, prosecutors said.

In a statement Saturday, Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager Bob Quinn said the team was “aware of the arrest of Trevor Bates earlier today in New York.”

“We have not spoken to Trevor as of yet and are still in the process of gathering more information,” he said. “The Detroit Lions will have no further comment at this time.”

Bates is a third-year pro from Westbrook, Maine, who had a brief stint with the New York Giants practice squad in 2017 before going to the Lions.

Bates’ attorney information wasn’t immediately available Saturday.