Former OSU Running Back Flees Police, Gets Tasered and Maced

By Mark Hoerrner

Maurice Clarett probably didn’t get out of bed yesterday expecting to tussle with police officers.

But that’s exactly what happened when he made an illegal U-turn that was noticed by police. The police officers pursued Clarett, said Sgt. Michael Woods, in a chase that should have ended when Clarett drove over a spike strip the officers had placed on the highway to trap him. No one told Clarett, apparently, and he continued driving the wounded vehicle down Brice Road and into the parking lot of Tee Jaye’s Country restaurant where a witness told News Channel Local 6 that Clarett’s truck struck a police cruiser.

Most people would have given up when surrounded by police officers shouting commands to get out of their car and hit the pavement. But Clarett had other ideas.

The former Ohio State star running back who led the college to a BCS Championship victory in 2002 allegedly wanted to fight and officers attempted to use stun guns to bring him down but ran into an obstacle – Clarett was wearing a bullet-proof vest that dispersed the electric shock, Woods told the Associated Press.

The fight allegedly continued as police chose to use mace to aid them in bringing down Clarett, who still required several officers to get him handcuffed after the chemical was used.

Woods also told the AP that once Clarett was under arrest and placed in a police van, officers discovered three loaded handguns and a loaded rifle in the front seat of his vehicle, as well as a hatchet and a bottle of Vodka. He was taken to police headquarters where he was awaiting questioning.

This is not the young man’s first bout with the law. Clarett, 22, was accused earlier this year of flashing a firearm and robbing two people behind the Opium Lounge. He faces trial on two counts of aggravated robbery, four counts of robbery and one count of carrying a concealed weapon in that case.

Clarett has seemingly always been in trouble with the authorities. He missed out on the 2003 college season after allegedly falsifying a police report and later left school, the AP reported. He then was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2005 only to be cut during pre-season evaluations.