The Atlanta Falcons announced the release of practice squad wide receiver Cameron Batson following an alleged altercation with police.
Cameron Batson : Released by Falcons | Arrested
An Atlanta Falcons practice squad player and an Atlanta police officer were both hospitalized after a physical altercation early Saturday morning, police say.
The incident happened at around 2 a.m. Saturday on Interstate 75 northbound near Northside Drive.
Police confirmed to Channel 2 that the officer was performing a sobriety test during a DUI traffic stop.
The officer making the stop determined that the driver, identified as 27-year-old Cameron Batson, was driving while intoxicated.
Cameron Batson released by Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons released receiver Cameron Batson from the practice squad on Monday, two days after an altercation with police led to his arrest.
Batson had been on the Falcons’ practice squad all season but didn’t play in a game. He spent the previous four seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
According to a statement from Atlanta police, an officer observed a pickup truck speeding and failing to maintain its lane at about 2 a.m. Saturday.
The officer stopped the vehicle and observed that the driver appeared to be intoxicated. The statement said Batson resisted the efforts of the officer “and violently fought with the officer.”
The officer discharged his firearm, but no one was struck, the statement said. Batson returned to his vehicle, fled the scene, crashed a short distance away and was arrested while trying to hide.
The officer and Batson were taken to a hospital for injuries they received during the altercation.
Batson faces multiple charges, but the statement did not give additional details.
The Falcons issued a statement saying they “take this matter seriously” while declining further comment.
Arrested
Batson was reportedly arrested following a traffic stop on New Year’s Eve on Saturday morning. He was initially pulled over for apparently speeding and swerving out of his lane on an Atlanta road, but the situation escalated.
An officer from the Atlanta Police Department claimed Batson was heavily intoxicated. He allegedly resisted the arrest with some physical force.
The situation reportedly got much worse from there. Cameron Batson allegedly returned to his car in an attempt to escape the arrest of the Atlanta cops who pulled him over.
An officer allegedly fired his gun during the incident, but thankfully nobody was shot. Batson apparently attempted to flee the scene of the incident in his car, but crashed it shortly after, failing to get away.
Cameron Batson and one of the officers involved were taken to a hospital, but both are expected to be fine. He now faces a much more serious legal situation than he would have if he cooperated with the police after initially being pulled over for a traffic violation.