Baltimore Ravens safety Matt Elam was arrested on marijuana charges in Miami on Saturday night, according to Miami-Dade police, as reported by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
According to police, Elam was charged with four counts, including possession of cannabis with intent to sell or deliver and one count of reckless driving.
Elam was arrested at 7:16 p.m. ET on Saturday night after his vehicle swerved into a lane in front of an unmarked police car, nearly causing a collision. He almost caused accidents with the vehicles in front of him, as well, after driving too closely behind them, according to authorities.
Police claim Elam failed to abide by their attempted traffic stop, as he accelerated instead of yielding immediately. Upon the stop, officers detected a strong scent of marijuana and a cloud of smoke emitting from Elam’s vehicle.
Upon search, authorities discovered 162.2 grams of marijuana, six oxycodone pills weighing 3.1 grams and nearly $1,000. One of Elam’s passengers, Calvin Stewart, also possessed a semi-loaded automatic pistol, which he did not have a permit to carry.
The Ravens released a statement following the news of the arrest, saying “We are aware of the arrest of Matt Elam. Matt is not in our plans for the 2017 Ravens.”
In Oct. 2015, Elam was issued a one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, an incident that he self-reported, according to team officials.
Baltimore drafted Elam with the 32nd pick in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. In four seasons with the Ravens, he registered 86 tackles and one interception.
Elam is set to become a free agent next month after the Ravens elected not to pick up his fifth-year option.
Thumbnail photo via Evan Habeeb/USA TODAY Sports Images
