It’s only Monday, but it’s been a bad week for the National Football League. Just one day after Brandon Browner’s arrest, another longtime NFL player finds himself in trouble with the law. Former Detriot Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew was arrested Monday in Pittsburgh after he reportedly punched a police officer at least three times. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first had the story.
Brandon Pettigrew Arrested in Pittsburgh
According to reports, this scene first started when Pettigrew refused to pay a $97 limousine fare after a drive to downtown Pittsburgh. The driver called the police, who arrived at the scene sometime around 3:00 AM.
The confrontation soon turned physical, as Pettigrew refused to identify himself. After arguing about paying the fare, Pettigrew reportedly struck an officer three times in the chest. The other officer on the scene then handcuffed Pettigrew and took him into custody.
Pettigrew initially entered the NFL as a first-round pick of the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft. He became an immediate starter, starting in all 11 games in which he appeared. Pettigrew spent the entirety of his seven-year NFL career in Detroit, recording 301 receptions for 2,965 yards and 17 touchdowns.
The former tight end last appeared on the football field in 2015. During his final season, Pettigrew played in just eight games, recording seven receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown. He tore his ACL in December of 2015, and could never recover. While he was technically a member of the 2016 Detroit Lions, Pettigrew never played a snap. After starting the season on the physically unable to perform list, Detroit officially released him on December 9th, 2016.
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