San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver was arrested in San Jose, Calif. on Friday on charges of felony hit-and-run and weapons possession, according to KTVU.com.
According to the report, police received a call shortly after 10 a.m. local time after a bicyclist was struck by a car that fled the scene afterward. An eyewitness who saw the accident followed Culliver and was able to block him off in a nearby neighborhood.
Authorities say that Culliver then exited his vehicle and threatened the eyewitness with brass knuckles before attempting to flee the scene in his vehicle. Culliver was taken into custody without issue after police arrived on the scene.
The bicyclist has since been treated and released after suffering only minor injuries and a police search of Culliver's vehicle revealed a set of brass knuckles, per KTVU.com.
In response to Culliver's arrest, the 49ers released the following statement to KTVU:
The 49ers organization is aware of the recent matter involving Chris Culliver. We will remain in contact with Chris and the local authorities as we continue to gather the facts regarding this situation. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we will reserve further comment at this time.
The 25-year-old defender missed all of last season because of a torn ACL but has appeared in 32 regular-season games and five postseason games for San Francisco since being drafted in the third round out of South Carolina in 2011.
For those outside of Niners Nation, Culliver is probably best known for his controversial comments prior to Super Bowl XLVII, when he stated that he wouldn't accept an openly-gay teammate.
Culliver, who has 82 tackles and three interceptions for his career, is heading into the final year of his four-year, $2.7 million rookie deal, according to Spotrac.com.
Former NFL scout John Middlekauff suggests the arrest could potentially lead the 49ers to scratch Culliver from their future plans:
It remains to be seen what sort of punishment and penalties Culliver will receive as a result of his actions and arrest, but by casting a negative light on the 49ers for the second time in 14 months, Culliver has given the team a legitimate reason to part ways with him.
Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt as a result of the accident.
According to the report, police received a call shortly after 10 a.m. local time after a bicyclist was struck by a car that fled the scene afterward. An eyewitness who saw the accident followed Culliver and was able to block him off in a nearby neighborhood.
Authorities say that Culliver then exited his vehicle and threatened the eyewitness with brass knuckles before attempting to flee the scene in his vehicle. Culliver was taken into custody without issue after police arrived on the scene.
The bicyclist has since been treated and released after suffering only minor injuries and a police search of Culliver's vehicle revealed a set of brass knuckles, per KTVU.com.
In response to Culliver's arrest, the 49ers released the following statement to KTVU:
The 49ers organization is aware of the recent matter involving Chris Culliver. We will remain in contact with Chris and the local authorities as we continue to gather the facts regarding this situation. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we will reserve further comment at this time.
The 25-year-old defender missed all of last season because of a torn ACL but has appeared in 32 regular-season games and five postseason games for San Francisco since being drafted in the third round out of South Carolina in 2011.
For those outside of Niners Nation, Culliver is probably best known for his controversial comments prior to Super Bowl XLVII, when he stated that he wouldn't accept an openly-gay teammate.
Culliver, who has 82 tackles and three interceptions for his career, is heading into the final year of his four-year, $2.7 million rookie deal, according to Spotrac.com.
Former NFL scout John Middlekauff suggests the arrest could potentially lead the 49ers to scratch Culliver from their future plans:
It remains to be seen what sort of punishment and penalties Culliver will receive as a result of his actions and arrest, but by casting a negative light on the 49ers for the second time in 14 months, Culliver has given the team a legitimate reason to part ways with him.
Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt as a result of the accident.
