Man driving Jermaine O'Neal's SUV arrested
(AP) Updated: 2006-10-16 10:23
INDIANAPOLIS -- A man driving a vehicle owned by Indiana Pacers forward
Jermaine O'Neal was arrested Friday night on a marijuana possession charge,
police said. O'Neal was not in the SUV, and a police spokesman said he was not
suspected of any involvement.
O'Neal said he had nothing to do with the incident. He said he bought the SUV
about five years ago and had given it to a friend, but continued paying for its
insurance.
An officer spotted the Chevrolet Tahoe with window tinting that was too dark
and smelled an odor of marijuana coming from inside after pulling the vehicle
over, police Sgt. Matthew Mount said.
The officer saw "shavings of marijuana" on the SUV's front seat and arrested
the driver on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession and a charge of
driving with a suspended license, Mount said. The driver told officers he had
borrowed the SUV from the person to whom O'Neal had lent it.
"O'Neal's name is just getting dragged through the mud because some yahoo
borrowed the car and decided to smoke some marijuana," Mount said.
The incident happened two days after Pacers guard Stephen Jackson was charged
with a felony count of criminal recklessness and two other charges for firing a
handgun during a fight involving three Pacers teammates and others outside an
Indianapolis strip club last week.
O'Neal told The Associated Press he did not know the person who was driving
the SUV.
"It's not a car that I drive at any time. It's not a car that I keep at my
house. It's not a car that I ride in," O'Neal said Friday night. "Today's my
birthday, and I'm in the middle of opening presents and get a phone call about
one of my cars being towed. I'm like, `All my cars are here."'
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