Former NFL linebacker Terrell Suggs found himself on the wrong side of the law again, as he was cuffed and stuffed into a Maricopa County jail this week. The one-time Super Bowl champ, known for his defensive prowess on the field, has been booked on charges that are quite a departure from his gridiron glory days. Suggs, 41, faced charges for allegedly threatening and intimidating, along with disorderly conduct with a weapon, as per Scottsdale Police statements.
The incident that led to his arrest unfolded back on March 10 at a Starbucks drive-thru. According to reports by FOX 10 Phoenix, Suggs allegedly backed his Range Rover into another vehicle. Though there was no damage, a heated exchange ensued. It's said Suggs then proceeded to brazenly display a black handgun to the other driver while exiting the drive-thru – not exactly the accessory you'd expect with your morning coffee.
"The handgun was never pointed at the victim and was just merely shown, which the victim believed [Suggs] was threatening him with," stated the court documents obtained by The Guardian. This entire confrontation was recorded on the victim's dashcam.
This isn't Suggs' first run-in with the law. In 2003, he was brought to court on assault charges from a parking lot altercation, but he was later acquitted. Another incident in 2016 involved Suggs leaving the scene of a vehicle accident, but charges were dropped after he attended a traffic class, detailed in the report by FOX 10 Phoenix.
On the field, Suggs was a force to be reckoned with, stacking up an impressive resume including NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, and helping his teams – the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs – to clinch Super Bowl titles. But the skills that once had to seemingly effortlessly subdue quarterbacks now seem at odds with the law-abiding image of a retired athlete.
Suggs has since been released from jail, and details about his court proceedings are yet to unfold.
