ARRISBURG, Pa. -- Detroit Lions cornerback Aaron Berry
faces DUI and other charges stemming from a weekend accident in his
hometown, police said.
Berry, 24, who played college ball at the University of
Pittsburgh, was arrested around 4 a.m. Saturday after driving his
vehicle into several parked cars and attempting to flee, said
Harrisburg police Cpl. A. Akakpo-Martin. He was eventually arrested
a short distance away and no one was hurt, Akakpo-Martin said.
Berry is charged with suspicion of DUI, failure to stop and
render aid from an accident and other counts, all misdemeanors. In
a statement released through his agent, he said he was sorry.
"I want to offer a sincere apology to the Lions organization,
Lions fans, the coaches and all my teammates for my actions this
past weekend," he said. "This is not the example I want to set
for young people and it's certainly not what my team and coaches
expect from me. I promise to do everything in my power to make sure
this never happens again. I understand these are just words and it
will be my future actions that ultimately will speak for me."
His agent did not have information on whether he had an
attorney.
The team said in a separate statement that it was "extremely
disappointed" in reports of Berry's arrest.
"This is not the standard of behavior we expect from any member
of our organization," the statement said. "We have strongly and
repeatedly emphasized the need to be accountable on and off the
field, which makes this incident with Aaron all the more
disappointing."
Berry was drafted out of Pittsburgh and has played two seasons
for the Lions, playing in 11 games last season -- including three
starts. He had 26 tackles.
The Lions' offseason has been marred by off-field trouble.
Running back Mikel Leshoure was suspended for violating the
NFL's substance-abuse policy. Leshoure pleaded guilty to marijuana
possession in May.
Defensive tackle Nick Fairley was arrested in Alabama on charges
of driving under the influence and attempting to elude police in
May, his second arrest in his home state in two months. He was also
arrested in April for allegedly possessing marijuana.
Offensive tackle Johnny Culbreath also had a run-in with law
enforcement this offseason.