A former NFL tight end was arrested and charged for pulling a gun on police officers over the weekend.
According to WSTP, Orson Charles has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed firearm, both of which represent three felony offenses in Florida, for an incident that occurred on Friday. According to the Tampa Bay Times, he also possessed a misdemeanor amount of marijuana.
The 31-year-old Tampa native was trying to park his car when another car pulled into the spot instead. Charles then allegedly approached the other vehicle, which off-duty police officers occupied.
The officers said he pulled a concealed gun from under his shirt and threatened to shoot. When the officers showed their badges, he allegedly continued to threaten them, saying, “I don’t give a f*ck; I have one in the head.”
According to the affidavit, the officers drove away to avoid being shot. They then alerted an off-duty Hillsborough County deputy to keep an eye on Charles before his arrest.
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Charles is a former tight end and fullback. He played college football at the University of Georgia before being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Charles played eight seasons in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints (2014), the Detroit Lions (2016), the Kansas City Chiefs (2017), the Cleveland Browns (2018), and the Denver Broncos (2019).
Charles has had a few legal troubles in his day. Before the 2012 NFL Draft, Charles was arrested for a DUI.
Then, in March of 2014, Charles was arrested for wanton endangerment in Richmond, Kentucky. A police officer pulled him over after another driver complained that Charles had shown a gun multiple times.
No other information has been released.
