Former NFL player Terrell Suggs was arrested on Tuesday in Scottsdale, Arizona, facing two charges, a month after an incident in a Starbucks drive-thru where he allegedly brandished a gun, as per police records.
Suggs was charged with threatening and intimidating, and disorderly conduct with a weapon, and was released early Wednesday morning.
On March 10, while driving a black Range Rover, Suggs threatened to kill another driver after the man backed into Suggs’ car while reversing in a Starbucks drive-thru line. Suggs had initially driven past the ordering speaker and was reversing when the incident occurred, according to police records.
After the collision, both Suggs and the other driver exited their vehicles and argued about whether Suggs had actually hit the other man’s car. The argument de-escalated, and both men returned to their vehicles and completed their Starbucks orders.
However, as Suggs drove away, he gave the other driver the middle finger, prompting the other man to curse at him. The exchange of obscenities continued, and Suggs threatened to kill the other man.
Terrell Suggs (Via untouchablejay4/Twitter)
As Suggs began to leave the drive-thru, he stopped his car and extended a handgun out of the driver’s side window. Although the gun was never pointed directly at the other man, the action was perceived as a threat. The other driver noted Suggs’ license plate number and contacted the police.
The entire incident was recorded by a device on the other car, capturing both audio and video.
In a statement released through EAG Sports’ Denise White, Suggs expressed that he feared for his safety during the encounter.
“I was in a quiet area of Scottsdale in the middle of the day in a Starbucks drive thru near my home when an incident happened with a vehicle behind me. I was getting coffee, I was not looking for any trouble.
When the man in the other vehicle escalated the situation, I feared for my safety not knowing what his intentions were. Throughout the incident, I was the one who felt in danger, while fearing I would be followed home and for the safety of my family nearby at my residence,” he stated.
Terrell Suggs (Via NFL/Twitter)
The Scottsdale police officer who reviewed the video footage identified Suggs due to previous interactions with him. This officer had issued Suggs a speeding ticket on December 12 and later encountered him at a court hearing regarding the ticket.
Suggs was stopped at 2:40 p.m. on Tuesday shortly after leaving his house in Scottsdale and was arrested at 2:58 p.m. A weapon was found in Suggs’ car during the stop, according to the police report. He was released at 2 a.m. on Wednesday. Suggs is scheduled to appear in court on April 25 for a status conference, with a preliminary hearing set for April 29.
As part of Suggs’ supervised release, he must surrender any weapons in his possession.
Suggs, a former Arizona State University football player, was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2003 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.
A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, Suggs was the 10th pick in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens in 2003. He won Super Bowl championships with the Ravens (SB XLVII) and the Kansas City Chiefs (SB LIV).
