CINCINNATI -- Officers trying to arrest Cincinnati Bengals
defensive tackle Matthias Askew after a parking violation used a
Taser to subdue him and charged him with resisting arrest.
Askew
The 24-year-old Askew struggled with officers trying to handcuff
him Saturday evening and broke away before he was shocked, police
spokesman Lt. Tom Lanter said. Askew ignored an officer's warning
to move his illegally parked car and then refused to give his
identification, Lanter said.
Askew, also charged with obstructing official business, was
released on his own recognizance and was scheduled to appear in
court Monday, a jail official said.
The 6-foot-5, 302-pound lineman was a fourth-round draft pick in
2004 from Michigan State. He played in five games as a rookie, but
was active for only one game last season.
Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said Sunday morning he could not
confirm Askew's arrest and had no other information.
The arrest came about a week after Bengals owner Mike Brown
issued a statement to reassure fans the team has standards for its
players. Three other Bengals have been charged with criminal
offenses in recent months.
"We want our fans to know that we share their concerns
regarding the recent off-field conduct of several Bengals
players," Brown said in the statement. "We expect our players to
be good citizens, as most are, and we hold them accountable for
their conduct under team and league rules."
Last month, second-year receiver Chris Henry pleaded not guilty
in Covington, Ky., to charges that he provided alcohol to three
underage females. He also faces a drunken driving charge in
suburban Cincinnati, and is scheduled for trial Aug. 21 in Florida
on a charge of carrying a concealed weapon.
A.J. Nicholson, a fifth-round pick in April, was charged last
month with burglarizing the apartment of a former Florida State
teammate. He also faces grand theft and vandalism charges in
Florida.
Also last month, defensive end Frostee Rucker was charged with
two counts of spousal battery and vandalism in Los Angeles. The
third-round pick has denied the allegations.