A warrant is out for the arrest of Los Angeles Rams’ running back Tre Mason after the third-year pro missed a scheduled court hearing , the Los Angeles Times reported. The Rams’ star player faced charges stemming from a March 5, Hollywood, Florida, arrest on charges of misdemeanor reckless driving, possession of marijuana, resisting an officer, and failure to register a motor vehicle.
Now, despite rushing for almost 3,000 yards in his last two seasons at Auburn and an additional 750 yards in his Rams rookie season, Mason appears to have run from the law as well.
According to the Broward County Clerk, Mason faces a warrant for failure to appear in court for the incident. His bond has been set to $1,500 .
“We are very disappointed to learn of an incident involving [Mason] in the Miami, [Florida], area” said the Rams in a statement to ESPN when Mason was first arrested. While no disciplinary action has been announced by either the Rams or the N.F.L., it should be noted that the warrant for Mason’s arrest could put a severe strain on the player’s career moving forward.
Rams’ head coach Jeff Fisher, meanwhile, was a little more optimistic at the time.
“I know [Mason] was extremely embarrassed as to the incident, but we don’t have the facts yet. We’re still waiting on that,” Fisher told the LA Times . “To me, it was very uncharacteristic of him. And if in fact what was reported is true, then we’d be really disappointed in him. But we don’t have the information.”
Unfortunately for Mason, the warrant has done little to make the situation any clearer.
What is known is that, according to The Orange County Register , Mason is believed to have been speeding in excess of 70 miles per hour in a 35 M.P.H when he was pulled over by police last month. Authorities note that Mason would not identify himself and refused to step out of his vehicle.
A subsequent search found the RB to be in possession of an unspecified amount of marijuana believed to be less than 20 grams.
Mason also had to be subdued with a stun gun.
“The defendant was warned several times in a composed voice to stop resisting, exit the vehicle, and if he did not comply with arrest, a Taser would be used,” noted Mason’s arrest police report, which was obtained by ESPN .
The documenting officer also noted that Mason tried to “brace himself” in his car and demonstrated “great resistance” to those responding to the traffic stop.
For Mason, the news of his failure to appear in court and subsequent arrest warrant could not have come at a worse time.
?? 9 pic.twitter.com/l0ooI8zfwv
— Tre Mason (@TreMason) March 4, 2016
The running back, who lost his starting job to then-rookie Todd Gurley, rushed for just 207 yards and one touchdown with the Rams last season, which was, as documented by The Inquisitr , the team’s final one in St. Louis .
This led Fisher to say of Mason that he “has got to have a great offseason program.”
“We’re expecting, hoping, that everybody comes in. We drafted Tre [Mason] for a reason. When you look at that position, when you’re talking about Todd [Gurley] and Tre… I think that’s as good a group as you’ll find in the league, from a depth standpoint. Then the difference [is] their abilities and what they do. I think Tre realizes he has to put the commitment in, wherever he is, and have a great preseason.”
No doubt, Mason’s newest round of legal developments could be a major stumbling point.
The Los Angeles Rams are set to begin a round of off season workouts in Oxnard, California, on Monday, April 18. Mason, who was expected to attend, has been penciled in by his coaches as the backup to Gurley. Given his need to show the Rams’ coaching staff that he is capable of more, this was all the more critical.
At this point, no indication has been given as to whether the N.F.L. or the Rams plan on disciplining Mason. It would, however, seem very likely.
Image by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]
