Two Cleveland Browns players found themselves in jail on Christmas following a traffic stop. Linebacker Armonty Bryant and cornerback De'Ante Saunders were placed under arrest after Saunders was pulled over and charged by police for operating a vehicle while impaired and speeding.
Browns players arrested on Christmas Day following traffic stop
Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The state trooper who arrested the pair reportedly found a gun in the car, along with Adderall, according to Cleveland 19 News. There is no indication at this time whether the firearm was legal or whether either Bryant or Saunders had a prescription for the Adderall found. The players were released from jail later in the day and local prosecutors will now decide if further charges will be levied.
In response the Browns released the following statement:
"We have been made aware of the arrests of De'Ante Saunders and Armonty Bryant after a traffic stop early Friday morning.
These are charges that we take very seriously. The importance of responsible decision-making is something we continually stress to all members of our organization, which makes it extremely disappointing that these two individuals would put themselves in this situation by making such poor decisions. Armonty will be inactive on Sunday for our game against the Chiefs and will not travel with the team to Kansas City so he can tend to this personal legal matter. In addition to being a pending legal matter, this incident is subject to the NFL personal conduct policy and we have no further comment at this time."
Bryant has had two other notable off-field incidents dating back to 2012. He was placed on five years probation for selling marijuana in 2012, then received a one year deferred sentence in 2013 for driving under the influence. He has been a valuable part of the Browns pass rush this year, starting two games and recording 5.5 sacks.
Saunders, an undrafted free agent, appeared in two games during his rookie season. On Monday, he pleaded not guilty to drunk driving charges, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He was waived by the Browns later that day.
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