It was reported early Friday morning that New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore was arrested in his Cleveland hometown Thursday evening, though he has not been charged with a crime. The Cleveland police department reported context on the situation: Lattimore was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property as well as failing to notify officers that he had a weapon in his possession.
ESPN’s Mike Triplett shared a report from police that Lattimore had a loaded handgun on his person, which was later found to be stolen. The Athletic’s Katherine Terrell added more information from the police report, which said that a car with four passengers, one of them Lattimore, was pulled over following traffic violations. During the traffic stop, officers said they discovered a loaded Glock-19 handgun.
All four men in the car were arrested under suspicion, with the other two passengers brought in for having weapons under disability while the driver was arrested for improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle (in addition to a citation for non-functional taillights). Two weapons were allegedly found in the vehicle.
Amie Just of the Times-Picayune | Advocate reported that, as of 1 p.m. CT on Friday, Lattimore remains in Cleveland police custody. Ohio state law requires that citizens carrying concealed firearms during a traffic stop must inform police of it, which is what Lattimore is accused of not doing, and which would be a first-degree misdemeanor if he is charged. Conditions for possessing stolen property are a little more murky, but if the value of stolen goods exceeds $1,000, it would change from a misdemeanor to a felony.
There are a lot of moving parts to this situation, so keep an eye out for updates. Lattimore has not had an opportunity to comment publicly. At this early stage in the legal process, speculating on where things could develop would be irresponsible at best.
