Miami Dolphins' Phillip Merling arrested for alleged battery on pregnant woman

Miami Dolphins DE Phillip Merling was arrested on Wednesday and charged with an alleged aggravated battery on a pregnant woman.

Merling, 6-5, 305 pounds, is a third-year player who has appeared in all 32 games for the Dolphins his first two seasons. He was arrested in Broward County, Fla, where the local sheriff's website reported that Merling should have known the alleged victim is pregnant.

There are few details on the allegations thus far.

The Dolphins are scheduled to open a veteran minicamp on Friday.

Former NBA player Jason Caffey arrested, charged with domestic violence

MOBILE, Ala. -- Former NBA player Jason Caffey was arrested Tuesday afternoon on a third-degree domestic violence charge stemming from an incident earlier this year, Mobile police said. Caffey, 36, was released later on $1,000 bail. Police spokesman Officer Christopher Levy said Caffey is accused of confronting a 46-year-old woman on February 10 in the 1600 block of St. Stephens Road, slapping and striking her in the head and kicking her after she fell. He described the woman's injuries as minor.

Caffey played seven years in the National Basketball Association after careers at the University of Alabama and Davidson High School, and was part of the Chicago Bulls' 1995-96 and 1996-97 NBA championship teams.

Saints player arrested over the weekend

The offseason continues to be the time of year when players are left more to their own devices, and thus some have less occasion to comply with the law.

Allegedly.

Over the weekend, Saints rookie Harry Coleman was busted for simple battery, according to James Varney of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Details are sketchy, and law enforcement officials have speculated that the incident occurred at a Chitimacha casino.

Coleman joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent, so he was already a long shot to make it to the 53-man roster. His chances just got even slimmer.

Chargers S Kevin Ellison arrested in Redondo Beach

San Diego Chargers safety Kevin Ellison has been arrested in Redondo Beach on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance.

Police say the 23-year-old was arrested Monday afternoon after he was stopped for speeding in a school zone near his former high school.

Sgt. Peter Grimm says a search of Ellison's vehicle turned up 100 pills of Vicodin, which is a controlled substance. He was booked and released on $10,000 bail.

Grimm says Ellison didn't have a prescription and even if he did, it was an unusually large amount of pills for a pharmacist to distribute.

Ellison played four seasons for Southern California and started nine games as a rookie for the Chargers in 2009. His older brother Keith is a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills.

Former Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu arrested on suspicion of DUI

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Hideki Irabu, a one-time rising star from Japan, was arrested in Gardena for allegedly driving while intoxicated, police said Monday.

Irabu, 41, of Rancho Palos Verdes was stopped for a possible traffic violation about 1:30 a.m. May 17 in the 3100 block of Redondo Beach Boulevard, according to Lt. Steven Prendergast.

He was booked just after 2 a.m. and released around 10:30 a.m. after posting $5,000 bail, according to Sheriff's Department jail records.

Irabu was booked on a possible misdemeanor, but a decision on whether or what charges will be filed will come in about a month, Prendergast added.

Known infamously as the player called a "fat pus-y toad" by New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for shirking his duties during a spring training game, Irabu pitched in the major leagues from 1997 to 2002.

He came to the United States with great promise after eight exceptional years in Japan. But he didn't live up to his reputation, and his professional career was cut short after stints with the Yankees, Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers.

Last year, he signed with the Golden Baseball League's Long Beach Armada, an independent professional organization.

According to a news release issued in April 2009, Irabu returned to Japan and continued to play until he was sidelined by a knee injury.

The Long Beach Armada has suspended operations, according to its website.

Kevin Outcoult, commissioner for the Golden Baseball League, said Irabu left the Armada after half a season to return to Japan, but he doesn't believe Irabu is currently signed with any team.

Kings assistant coach Hardy arrested

Prosecutors in Washington are planning to raise a sexual abuse charge against former NHL defenceman Mark Hardy to a felony.

Police arrested the Los Angeles Kings assistant coach on a charge of misdemeanour sex abuse involving a woman in her 20s on Thursday.

Hardy, 51, was scheduled to make an initial court appearance Friday in D.C. Superior Court. Details of the allegations were not immediately available, and it was unclear what felony prosecutors would charge him with.

"We are aware of the charge," read a statement from the Kings. "Due to the legal nature of this matter we will not have any additional comments at this time."

According to ABC news, Hardy was arrested at the Mayflower hotel in downtown Washington.

He played in L.A. from 1979-88 and again in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons, and is in his second stint as an assistant coach.

Hardy played in 915 career NHL games over 15 seasons, including parts of 11 seasons with the Kings, posting 62 goals and 368 points.

He was a member of the Kings club that lost to Montreal in the 1993 Stanley Cup final.

Hardy served under former head coach Andy Murray from 1999-2006, and returned in 2008 to work for Terry Murray.

Prior to his second stint with the Kings, Hardy was an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks.

NBA player Chandler charged with drug possession

Law enforcement officials say New York Knicks guard Wilson Chandler has been charged with minor drug offenses after police found marijuana in his car. Police say they stopped Chandler on Tuesday night, March 18, 2010, in Queens because he was driving a 2010 Mercedes Benz with the headlights off at around 11

Broncos DT Fields arrested on weapons charges

According to multiple reports by the Denver media, Denver Broncos starting defensive tackle Ronald Fields was arrested on Saturday in Houston on weapons charges.

It was reported that Fields had carried a gun into a night club.

Fields was released after he posted $1,000 bond.

Fields started in all 16 games for the Broncos last season. It was his first season with the Broncos.

Former NFL star Lawrence Taylor charged with third-degree rape

Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was arrested Thursday on rape and prostitution charges in an assault on a 16-year-old runaway who police said was brought to his suburban New York City hotel room against her will.

The formerNew York Giantslinebacker was arrested early Thursday at a Holiday Inn in Suffern, said Christopher St. Lawrence, supervisor of the town of Ramapo. The victim was 16, one year below the legal age of consent in New York, St. Lawrence said.

Ramapo Chief of Police Peter Brower said Taylor was cooperative when police woke him up around 4 a.m. Taylor was to be arraigned later Thursday on charges of third-degree rape and patronizing a prostitute.

Brower would not comment on whether Taylor knew the girl's age but added, "Ignorance is not an excuse to an individual's age."

An attorney for Taylor, Kenneth Gribetz, said, "We're confident his innocence will be proven."

Rasheed Davis, a 36-year-old parolee, was arrested in the case on charges of unlawful imprisonment, assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Police said the girl was reported missing by her family in March and had been staying with Davis in the Bronx for a few weeks. Early Thursday morning, he beat her up, drove her to the hotel and told her she had to have sex with Taylor, police said. When she refused, Davis handed her over to Taylor, who sexually assaulted her, they said. Taylor paid her $300, which she gave to Davis, police said.

Davis "struck the young girl with his fist, kicked her and brought her to the Holiday Inn against her will," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

On the way back from Suffern, the girl sent text messages to her uncle spelling out what had happened, Browne said. The uncle then went to the NYPD, he said.

Davis was sentenced in April 1994 to eight to 25 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter. He was paroled in March 2008.

There was no phone number listed at the address provided by police for Davis and it wasn't clear if he had an attorney. His relationship with the girl was unclear.

The Bronx district attorney's office refused to comment.

Police said no drugs were found in Taylor's hotel room on Thursday, but a bottle of alcohol was found.

A quick, fierce and athletic linebacker who redefined his position, Taylor anchored the Giants' defense and led New York to Super Bowls titles in 1987 and 1991. He was selected to the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

A 10-time Pro Bowler, he was the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, 1982 and 1986. He recorded 132 1/2 sacks, which doesn't included his 9 sacks in 1981 when the statistic wasn't official.

In 2001, Taylor was convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia in New Jersey. The conviction stemmed from the September 1998 discovery in a hotel room of a butane torch and other materials commonly used to smoke crack.

In 1996 and 1997, he was arrested in South Carolina and Florida on drug charges. In those cases, he either admitted his guilt or agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program.

In 2000, he drew five years of federal probation for filing false tax returns and for tax evasion.

Bengals' Purify arrested after Kentucky club scuffle

- Cincinnati Bengals receiver Maurice Purify has been arrested on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct following a scuffle at a northern Kentucky night spot.

Police say Purify was arrested early Tuesday morning after they broke up a fight at the night spot, located directly across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. He was released later in the day on $500 bond. He's due in court for an initial hearing on Friday.

The Bengals had no comment. They signed Purify last year as an undrafted free agent from Nebraska. He appeared in five games, mainly on special teams. He didn't catch a pass.

UVA men's lacrosse player charged in slaying

University of Virginia men's lacrosse player George Huguely, 22, was charged Monday with first-degree murder in the death of Yeardley Love, 22, a player on the women's lacrosse team.

Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo said Love's roommate called police around 2:15 a.m. concerned that Love may have had an alcohol overdose, but police found her dead with obvious physical injuries.

Longo said Huguely quickly became the focus. He wouldn't say what led investigators to Huguely or detail the extent of Love's injuries. Love and Huguely were in a relationship at some point, Longo said. (AP)

LSU's Hebert suspended from football team after arrest

LSU center T-Bob Hebert has been suspended from the football team following his arrest Friday night, head coach Les Miles announced Monday.

The school did not specify why Hebert was arrested, but The Times-Picayune of New Orleans reported that he was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

"This is a very serious charge," Miles said. "We have a high level of expectations for the players in our program and this type of behavior is not acceptable. T-Bob made a poor decision and it will not be tolerated.

"I've met with T-Bob and he understands the magnitude of this charge. He made a mistake. Now he's going to have to suffer the consequences and do those things that insure that this type of incident doesn't happen again."

Hebert will be suspended from all football-related activities indefinitely and will not be reinstated until he fulfils certain obligations, as prescribed by Miles.

Hebert started 11 games for LSU in 2009, when he was a sophomore, though suffered a broken bone in his lower leg during a spring scrimmage. He is the son of former NFL quarterback Bobby Hebert.

ISU's Boozer to leave team after arrest

In a new headache for Iowa State's new coach, reserve guard Charles Boozer said Monday that he will leave the team to seek treatment for unspecified problems after a woman told police he slapped and kicked her over the weekend.

Boozer, who would have been a senior for the Cyclones next season, made the announcement in a release sent out by the school. He did not return a message seeking comment.

Police commander Mike Brennan said Boozer was arrested and charged with simple assault, a misdemeanor, on Saturday in Ames. A complaint accused Boozer of slapping the woman in the face, pushing her to the ground and kicking her in the side.

Police say the woman had red marks on her face and a scratch on her leg. Police say Boozer admitted arguing with the woman and pushing her.

Boozer, a 6-foot-3 junior from Raleigh, N.C., who had season-ending surgery in January, posted a cash bond of $300 and was released on the day of the incident.

New coach and former Cyclones star Fred Hoiberg began his first full week on the job Monday. He will have just two starters back from a team that went 15-17 last year.

Boozer apologized for his actions and said he and Hoiberg had a long talk on Sunday night. They agreed that it would in Boozer's best interests to be released from Iowa State and take care of "some of the problems" he's been dealing with.

Boozer said he'll seek treatment after finishing the spring semester at Iowa State. Boozer, the younger brother of Utah Jazz star Carlos Boozer, averaged 3.5 points in 16 games last season.

"After visiting with Charles last night, I feel that his decision to leave the program is in the best interest for both parties," Hoiberg said in a statement. "Charles had a terrible lapse in judgment and I sincerely hope that he learns from his mistake and can land on his feet."

Iowa State spokesman Mike Green said Boozer, who will have one year of eligibility left, intends to finish his college career at another school.

Boozer's departure is just the latest in a series of transfers for the Cyclones, who hired Hoiberg last week after former coach Greg McDermott left to take the same position at Creighton.

Welsh resigns as Hofstra hoops coach after arrest

Hofstra basketball coach Tim Welsh resigned Monday, three days after he was charged with drunken driving and only a month after he was hired.

Welsh, a former coach at Iona and Providence, never worked a game at Hofstra after signing a five-year contract for $3 million to replace Tom Pecora, who left to coach Fordham in March.

"The university accepted the resignation in the best interests of the university and of the men's basketball program," Hofstra spokesman Stephen Gorchov said in a statement.

There was no immediate word from the school on a successor.

The 49-year-old Welsh was arrested Friday morning after Nassau County police found him behind the wheel of his 2006 Lexus, stopped at a green light at an intersection in Levittown at 1 a.m. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and is due back in district court Tuesday.

Welsh's voicemail box was full. His attorney declined to comment.

Welsh told Newsday in Saturday's editions that he wanted to "express the deepest regrets and apologies over the incident."

Welsh took over a program Pecora led to a 155-126 record in nine seasons, including three straight NIT appearances from 2005-07.

Welsh was fired by Providence in 2008 after 10 seasons, and spent the past two years as a basketball commentator for ESPN.

At Providence, he had an overall record of 160-143, bu was 1-9 in the Big East tournament. The Friars reached the NCAA tournament under Welsh in 2001 and 2004, losing in the first round both times.

His best season at Providence was 2003-04 when the Friars finished third in the Big East and were ranked as high as No. 12 in the country. Before Providence he spent three seasons at Iona, where his record was 70-22 with one NCAA and two NIT appearances.

Hofstra joined the Colonial Athletic Association in 2001. While it has had success on the court, the Pride have not been able to reach the NCAA tournament as a member.

Welsh is accused of aggravated driving while intoxicated, which means prosecutors contend he had a blood-alcohol reading over 0.18, more than double the legal limit of 0.08.

His arrest occurred in a county where the district attorney has built a reputation for zero tolerance on drunken driving. During her first term, Kathleen Rice obtained a rare murder conviction against a drunken driver who crashed head-on into a wedding limousine, killing a 7-year-old flower girl and the chauffer.

Marge Lee, an anti-DWI advocate whose daughter was killed in a drunken driving crash, said high-profile arrests like Welsh's help to focus attention on the issue.

"Unfortunately, everyday drunken driving arrests are not always in the paper," she said. "If every single arrest made this kind of headline, it might help bring an end to the problem. A better headline would be `drunken driving is over.'"

Bassett arrested for assault

An off the court incident this past weekend could affect Armon Bassett's future basketball career. Sports ten has learned that the former Terre Haute South and Ohio junior basketball player was arrested for assault late Saturday night.

According to a report from the Athens police department in Ohio, Armon assaulted a doorman at the Courtside Pizza and Bar. According to the report the doorman appeared to have suffered a broken nose. Bassett appeared in court Monday for the incident, he entered a plea of not guilty.

The Ohio University athletic department announced Monday afternoon that Bassett has been suspended indefinitely from all team-related activities.

The big question now is if Bassett doesn't think Ohio will accept him back, will he stay in this year's NBA draft. Remember he declared for the draft but did not hire an agent, so he can return to Ohio University for his senior season. Bassett has until this Saturday to make a decision on whether or not to stay in the NBA draft.

Former Pro Bowler Corey Dillon Arrested In Calabasas

Former NFL running back Corey Dillon has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting his wife during an argument at their Southern California home. The Los Angeles County sheriff's office says deputies went to Dillon's Calabasas home Saturday after his wife, Desiree Antoine-Dillon, called 911. The office says the couple argued over a pending divorce and child custody issues and she had minor injuries. He was booked and released on $50,000 bail. Corey Dillon had no public telephone listing in Calabasas and couldn't be reached for comment Monday. He already faces a court hearing after his arrest last month for allegedly driving drunk near Malibu. Corey Dillon played for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1997 to 2003 and the New England Patriots from 2004 to 2006.