Former NFL defender Terrell Suggs was arrested in Maricopa County, Arizona, on Tuesday night, according to TMZ.
Suggs, 41, was charged with one count of assault and one count of offense against public order.
Suggs’ arrest was related to a March 10 incident in which he threatened a man with a gun in a Scottsdale, Arizona, Starbucks, per TMZ.
Suggs drove past the drive-through window and ran into the other man’s car when he attempted to reverse. While neither vehicle suffered damage, Suggs and the other man got into a verbal dispute before returning to their cars.
As Suggs was about to drive away from Starbucks, he allegedly flipped off the other man, which started another verbal disagreement. The two swore at each other before Suggs reportedly challenged the other individual to a fight.
Authorities say Suggs then flashed a black handgun outside his driver’s side window at the other man as he departed. While Suggs did not point the gun at the victim, the other man believed Suggs was threatening him.
Per officials, the entire episode was recorded on a dashcam.
Suggs released a statement on Tuesday.
“I was in a quiet area of Scottsdale in the middle of the day in a Starbucks drive-thru near my home when an incident happened with a vehicle behind me,” Suggs said. “I was getting coffee, I was not looking for any trouble.
“When the man in the other vehicle escalated the situation, I feared for my safety not knowing what his intentions were. Throughout the incident, I was the one who felt in danger, while fearing I would be followed home and for the safety of my family nearby at my residence.”
A Maricopa County spokesperson confirmed to TMZ that Suggs has since been released from jail.
Suggs spent 17 seasons in the NFL after entering the league as a first-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played for the Baltimore Ravens for the first 16 years of his career, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year (2011) awards while making the Pro Bowl seven times and winning Super Bowl XLVII.
Suggs’ final NFL campaign came in 2019, when he signed with the Arizona Cardinals before finishing the season — and winning another Lombardi — with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Suggs has faced legal trouble in the past.
In 2003, he was charged with felony aggravated assault after allegedly assaulting a man with a piece of reinforcement. However, he was eventually acquitted.
In 2009, Suggs was accused of assault by his then-girlfriend, Candace Williams, who made further accusations of violence in 2012. While a protective order was initially placed against Suggs, it was later removed. Suggs and Williams were married from 2012 to 2015.