Marshawn Lynch's Startling Arrest Footage Is Causing A Stir
Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was arrested on August 9 after Las Vegas Metropolitan Police came across a troubling sight at a traffic stop. According to the police report, per USA Today, Lynch was found in a Shelby GT500 Coupe officers deemed "undriveable," with a missing front wheel, tires, and rims. Lynch, who had been spotted running curbs just prior, was allegedly discovered asleep in the driver's seat sporting "bloodshot, watery eyes" and smelling of alcohol.
According to the LVMPD, Lynch told officers he was not under the influence, but that he did steal said vehicle. Nonetheless, Lynch was still charged with a misdemeanor of driving under the influence, refusal to surrender proof of insurance, driving an unregistered vehicle and failure to drive in a travel lane, per The New York Times. The report goes on to add that Lynch was uncooperative both when asked to do a field sobriety test as well as to give a blood sample for testing. In addition to several fines from the NFL itself, the former pro athlete, sadly, has a history of driving-related arrests, including a 2008 hit-and-run, a 2012 DUI and a 2014 "wet reckless" charge, per USA Today.
Two days after details of the police report surfaced, bodycam footage from Lynch's latest arrest was released, stirring up quite a discussion on Twitter.
Marshawn Lynch's arrest footage has the internet divided
In police bodycam video of Marshawn Lynch's August 9 arrest, per TMZ Sports, the former NFL player is shown being dragged out of his vehicle after failing to do so on his own. During a line of police questioning, cops repeatedly asked Lynch to step out of the car to no avail. Telling him he was "obstructing an investigation," one member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department pulled Lynch by the hood of his sweatshirt to the ground, instructing the former running back, "Roll over. Hands behind your back. No more games today."
Twitter was divided on what they saw in the dramatic footage. On one hand, many noted that Lynch, as he told cops in the video, was asleep in a vehicle that wasn't moving, with one user writing, "You cannot investigate a crime that never happened, so how was he obstructing?" Another sympathized that while Lynch was violating the law, "the way they dragged the man out of the car while he was calm & not aggressive at all gives me bad vibes." Yet another user opined that perhaps, "a lot of cops are way too emotional to do the job."
For many others, however, the police took the only course of action available. "He was being passive aggressive, and refusing to listen," one put it. Another simply stated that Lynch "should have complied. Period," noting that a cop's primary duty was to "protect him and the community."