NFLPolice Blotter

Alameda Ta’amu Faces Litany Of Charges, Was Almost Shot By Cops During Drunkest Night Ever

Steelers rookie Alameda Ta’amu (#95 in the photo above) had quite the weekend. The 6-3, 348 4th-round pick out of Washington has been inactive for the Steelers’ first five regular season games, but that hasn’t stopped him from going out there and just really enjoying life.

Here’s a quick summary of Ta’amu’s Saturday night, based on court documents and a local news report.

1. He got very, very drunk.

Arresting officers say Ta’amu’s breath smelled like alcohol, his speech was slurred and his eyes were bloodshot. Police say Ta’amu agreed to take a blood alcohol test, and he registered a blood alcohol content of .196 percent, more than twice the legal limit.

2. He hopped in his car.

The criminal complaint says police spotted a 2006 Lincoln Navigator going the wrong way on Fort Pitt Boulevard early Sunday morning, when the driver then crossed the Smithfield Street bridge and ran a red light as he turned onto East Carson Street.

3. He took a shortcut.

Police say the driver then crossed into opposing traffic, driving on the wrong side of the street for seven blocks, to pass several cars at a time on East Carson Street.

4. He almost ran over a cop.

The criminal complaint said one officer dressed in full uniform yelled, “Police! Stop the vehicle.”  That officer then said the driver, later identified as Ta’amu, swerved toward him and nearly ran him over.

5. He was almost shot.

Two other officers said they also spotted the car and drewtheir guns as the Navigator came at them, but neither of them fired “due to the large number of pedestrians and motorists on the sidewalks and roadway.”

6. He hit a bunch of parked cars.

Police say Ta’amu took a sharp turn off of East Carson Street and onto South 14^th Street.  There, he allegedly hit four cars as police chased him.

7. He wrecked his own car.

The chase took another turn when police say Ta’amu hit a fifth car, totaling both vehicles.

8. He took off his shirt (?) and ran for it.

Police said they ran toward him, and officers say Ta’amu than sprinted away from the car.  Investigators said he took off his blue shirt to avoid being recognized.

9. Finally, he got punched in the face.

When police caught up to him, they told him to get on the ground and put his hands behind his back.  According to the criminal complaint, one officer was concerned that Ta’amu was reaching for his waistband, so he punched him in the face.  Police said they eventually got Ta’amu, who refused medical treatment, into handcuffs and took him to jail.

An impressive night all around. Ta’amu faces more felony charges than we can count — including one for aggravated assault — and he was released from custody on Sunday. If he’s still in a Steeler uniform by the time he heads back to court, it will be a miracle.

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