Indianapolis Colts safety Joe Lefeged was arrested overnight in Northeast D.C. after officers found an unregistered semi-automatic pistol in the car in which he was riding, police said.
Lefeged was ordered held without bond during a brief court hearing Saturday afternoon. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Lefeged, 25, was a passenger inside a Chevrolet Camaro that police attempted to pull over at around 12:05 a.m. Saturday in the 4600 block of Central Avenue NE. Police said they stopped the car for speeding and because another passenger -- 23-year-old Aaron Timothy Wilson of Potomac, Md. -- was standing upright in the backseat of the convertible.
After police told the driver to put the car in park, the driver sped off, nearly striking the officers, the court records show. Police were able to pull over the vehicle again less than half a mile away, in the 4200 block of Blaine Street NE, where Lefeged and Wilson ran from the car in different directions.
Wilson got away, but Lefeged was arrested as he tried to flee, authorities said.
Officers smelled marijuana in the car, and found a container of vodka and orange juice in the center console and a semi-automatic pistol under the front passenger seat "in plain view sticking out from underneath the front passenger seat," they said.
Lefeged is facing multiple charges: carrying a firearm without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, possession of unregistered ammunition, presence of a firearm inside a vehicle, and possession of an open container of alcohol.
A receipt shows Lefeged bought the gun this year for about $900, police said.
"We are aware of the reports regarding Joe Lefeged in Washington, D.C.," the Indianapolis Colts said in a brief statement late Saturday afternoon. "At this time, we will have no further comment on the pending matter until we gain more information."
Lefeged is originally from Gaithersburg, Md., and was a star high school football player at Northwest High School in Germantown. He played college football at Rutgers and was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2011.
He started four games last season and recorded two tackles and a forced fumble in a playoffs loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
A lawyer listed as representing Lefeged did not return a call seeking comment Saturday afternoon.
The arrest comes as the NFL grapples with gun violence. Tight end Aaron Hernandez was charged this week with orchestrating the execution-style slaying of a semi-pro football player and was quickly released by the New England Patriots.
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Photo Credit: AP