Police: Marshawn Lynch was asleep behind the wheel, said he stole car before Las Vegas arrest

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Former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch was asleep during a traffic stop, smelled of alcohol and told police he had stolen the car he was sitting in when Las Vegas police arrested him Tuesday, according to the arrest report for the case.

The report, which was obtained by USA TODAY Sports, states that Las Vegas Metro Police came up to a car at 7:25 a.m. Tuesday at Fairfield Avenue and West Utah Avenue, which is just north of the Las Vegas Strip. Officers noticed that the car, a Shelby GT500 Coupe sports car, was in "undriveable condition." Per the report, the driver's side front wheel and rim were completely gone and the front passenger rim and tire almost off. Officers followed marks on the road that showed the car had hit the sidewalk near to where the car was found, with a tire located there.

Officers found a man, whom they later identified as Lynch, asleep and reclining in the driver's seat with the driver's door open.

Per the report, Lynch, 36, was wearing only one shoe and "would speak and then fall back asleep several times throughout the encounter." The report states that officers "observed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from the vehicle, his person and his breath along with bloodshot, watery eyes."

Marshawn Lynch played seven seasons for the Seahawks, rushing for 6,381 yards and 58 TDs for the team.
Marshawn Lynch played seven seasons for the Seahawks, rushing for 6,381 yards and 58 TDs for the team.

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Police said "Lynch stated that he was not drinking and he does not do drugs, but that he stole the vehicle."

At that point, officers asked Lynch to step out, but, according to the report, Lynch became uncooperative so police were unable to administer any field sobriety tests. Lynch was arrested around 7:52 a.m. and transported to the City of Las Vegas Jail. The report states that a warrant was obtained to draw a blood sample to determine if Lynch was impaired, though Lynch again became uncooperative. Corrections officers at the jail were required to "use a restraint chair to force a blood draw." The time at which the sample was taken was redacted from the report.

A bodycam video shows parts of the traffic stop in which Lynch is shown still in the driver's seat, repeatedly asking officers: "What is the problem?" Later in the video, Lynch is seen being forcibly removed from the car and placed face-down on the asphalt while officers handcuff

Lynch was cited for driving under the influence, a failure to refuse/surrender, a failure to drive in a travel lane and the vehicle he was driving was not registered. His bail was set at $3,381. He is scheduled to appear in court in December.

"Marshawn was not pulled over for a DUI," Lynch's attorneys, Richard A. Schonfeld and David Z. Chesnoff, said in a statement emailed to USA TODAY Sports. "Rather the vehicle was safely parked and not in operation. We are confident that when all evidence is presented, this will not be a DUI under Nevada law. Marshawn appreciates and is thankful for everyone’s concern and support."

Lynch is a five-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro selection who played 12 seasons in the NFL from 2007-19 with the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders. Lynch, who is a native of Oakland, California, left the Raiders before the team relocated in 2020 to Las Vegas and finished his career in Seattle.

He ran for 10,413 yards with 85 touchdowns in his career and also posted 2,214 receiving yards with nine touchdowns. He was selected as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's all-decade team for the 2010s.

The arrest came one day after the Seahawks announced their broadcast team for the 2022 preseason and said Lynch was set to serve as a special correspondent later in the season to "produce creative content for a variety of projects."

In 2008, Lynch was accused of accused of hitting a woman with his Porsche SUV in Buffalo, New York, and driving away. For that incident, Lynch pleaded guilty to failure to exercise due care to pedestrian, had his license revoked and was fined $100 with a $50 surcharge.

In a separate incident in July 2012, Lynch was arrested in Oakland on suspicion of DUI. In February 2014, Lynch cut a deal and pleaded guilty to a reckless driving charge and was ordered to pay a $1,033 fine.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marshawn Lynch asleep behind wheel, said he stole car, police say