Former NFL receiver Davone Bess arrested after Arizona standoff
Former Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns receiver Davone Bess is in the headlines for another bizarre incident involving police, this time in Arizona.
Bess, who last played in the NFL in 2013, was spotted by police in Gilbert, Ariz. late Sunday night for a simple offense – not having his headlights on – and wound up arrested five hours later after barricading himself inside his home.
According to the police report, police attempted to stop Bess, but the 30-year old did not pull over, instead he “rolled down his window and began making gestures with his hand shaped like a gun and motioning that he was shooting the officer.” Police say Bess fled at high speed and rather than conduct a high-speed chase, police went to Bess’ house to wait for him to return.
At first, Bess barricaded himself in his car, a silver Mercedes-Benz, and brandished a knife. He continued to ignore police, blaring the music in his car. Eventually he ran into his house, and “inside the residence Bess would stand at the front window and door holding a knife and on occasion he would put the knife to his throat,” the police report said.
At 4:45 a.m. on Monday, after negotiating for hours, Bess opened the door to police, though he continued to disregard their orders. It was not until a K-9 was sent into the home and bit Bess on his left forearm that he was able to be arrested.
Bess was arrested and charged with three felonies: endangerment, felony flight and failure to stop for a police officer. Bond was set at $2500.
A rookie free agent who signed with the Dolphins in 2008, Bess spent five seasons with Miami before being traded to Cleveland in 2013. Despite some already-evident signs of issues with Bess, the Browns signed him to a three-year, $11 million extension.
However, the Browns placed Bess on the non-football injury list toward the end of his one season with the club (voiding the remainder of his contract), as he dealt with “emotional distress.” Not long after the move to place him on the NFI list, Bess posted a photo of himself on social media with a Rasta flag around his neck and a large amount of weed; later the same month, he was taken into custody at Fort Lauderdale Airport after acting irrationally, dancing and singing with his pants around his ankles. Approached by a police officer, Bess crushed a cup of hot coffee that did not to him on the cop.
