Thursday, September 7, 2006
The ex-football hero goes to trial Sept. 18 in a Jan. 1 robbery case.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- Maurice Clarett was indicted today on new charges related to a highway chase and violent struggle with police.
Clarett, whom police said was found with four loaded guns in his SUV, was indicted on five charges that include carrying a concealed weapon and two counts of failure to comply with an order from a police officer. He will be arraigned Monday.
Clarett, of Youngstown, was arrested Aug. 9 after authorities say he tried to flee a police officer. Police noticed a vehicle driving erratically, beginning a highway chase that ended when police spiked the tires of Clarett's SUV. Officers said their stun guns did not work on Clarett because he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Clarett is set to go to trial Sept. 18 on charges accusing him of robbing two people of a cell phone outside a bar early New Year's Day.
Clarett, who led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship, will be arraigned on the five new charges Monday.
The indictment also includes charges of improper handling of a firearm and one count of using a gun while under indictment on the New Year's Day robbery.
Police used pepper spray to finally gain control of and handcuff Clarett. They said that he kicked the doors of the police vehicle and that they had to put a cloth mask over his mouth because he was spitting at them.
Clarett is being held in the Franklin County jail.
Other details
At the time of his arrest, he was driving a few blocks from the home of a woman who authorities said was scheduled to testify against him in the robbery trial.
Clarett has undergone a mental health examination since his arrest.
His defense attorneys in both cases, Michael Hoague and Nick Mango, did not return messages seeking comment. The county prosecutor and the lead prosecutor in the case also did not return calls.
Clarett's attorneys requested a public survey to determine if their client could get a fair trial in the county where he once starred on the field, but that request was denied Wednesday by Common Pleas Judge David W. Fais.
He was arrested early this year on the robbery charges, about the time that Ohio State was putting the finishing touches on a 34-20 victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.