The Cleveland Browns released Lonnie Phelps on Thursday following the defensive end’s arrest in Florida on a charge of driving under the influence after he allegedly crashed a vehicle into a restaurant.
Phelps, 23, was arrested shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday. An arrest report says the NFL athlete was driving a black Hyundai pickup truck when he crashed in Key West.
A Key West Police Department officer said the front passenger side of the car was inside the Red Shoe Island Bistro, leaving a hole in the wall, according to the arrest report. The vehicle had “incapacitating damage to the front with the driver and front passenger airbags deployed,” the officer wrote.
Phelps and a 21-year-old female passenger, described as his girlfriend, had gotten out of the car when police arrived.
Video shared by the restaurant on Facebook showed a gaping hole in the wall with bricks, broken tables and chairs strewn across the floor.
The restaurant said it was closed at the time and no one was injured.
“It could have been really bad… The angels were watching over us all,” the establishment posted. “We will reopen as soon as possible. Thank you for your support and patience.”
Police said Phelps was slurring his words, his eyes were bloodshot, his eyelids were drooping and a strong odor of alcohol was coming from his breath. He was leaning against a fence and kept making strange statements to officers as they tried to talk to him, the report says.
Phelps appeared to be “very agitated,” according to the report, and “kept throwing his hands in the air and rushing us to ‘do what we have to do.'” The report accuses Phelps of talking over police and arguing.
“Phelps also told me he was tripping,” an officer wrote in the report.
At one point, Phelps turned around and put his hands behind his back without being told to, the report says. Police said they repeatedly asked Phelps where he was driving from before the crash and he told them “right in front.”
The report says police had difficulty getting Phelps to perform field sobriety tests and accuses the athlete of yelling at officers.
“Phelps also accused me of trying to trick him and yelled at me what am I trying to do to him,” one officer wrote.
As police were setting up the walk-and-turn field sobriety test, Phelps allegedly made statements such as, “I’ve never been here before, just do it” and “Just leave the tape so I can walk the line like a concussion test.” . “according to the arrest report.
When Phelps was unable to maintain his balance while attempting to walk in a straight line, he allegedly walked away and demanded that one of the officers perform the exercise and show him how to do it.
“Phelps kept talking over me the entire time and didn’t listen to instructions and instead (yelled),” the arrest report says.
Phelps was eventually arrested and taken to the Monroe County Detention Center on misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and causing property damage.
During the ride to the police station, police said Phelps took off his seat belt, asked how long it took to get out of jail and “asked me not to kill him,” the report says.
At the police station they refused to take the breathalyzer test, according to the report.
KeynoteUSA reached out to Phelps’ representative for comment on Friday. She is scheduled to appear in court on July 2.
On Thursday, the Browns issued a brief statement saying Phelps had been released from the team. The statement does not mention his arrest.
Cincinnati’s Phelps signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent in May 2023 and spent the entire 2023 season on the team’s practice squad.
This article was originally published on KeynoteUSANews.com
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