Aqib Talib Arrested for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
By Mitchell Ayes
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib turned himself in to police in Garland, Texas on March 30, 2011, and was released after posting a $25,000 bond. Talib turned himself in after arrest warrants were issued for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for himself and his mother, Okolo Talib. Talib was charged with a second-degree felony which can carry a prison sentence of two to twenty years while his mother was charged with possession of a firearm. The arrests stem from an incident in which Garland police believe that Talib and his mother shot at Talib’s sister’s boyfriend on March 21, 2011. According to police, the man was not injured. This incident was not Talib’s first run in with the law as he was involved in an altercation with a cab driver in 2009 which resulted in a one game suspension last season. As a result of the altercation, Talib was entered into a pretrial diversion program and ordered to attend anger management classes. Talib, the Buccaneers first-round selection in 2008, after a three year career at the University of Kansas, now leaves his football fate in the hands of Commissioner Goodell. While the NFL has locked out its players, they are still subject to the league’s personal conduct policy and disciplinary action may be taken after the lockout is resolved. Talib will need to look closely at the Plaxico Burress situation and what actions Commissioner Goodell takes with him after he is released from jail this June on his gun possession charge, as he may await the same fate.
My name is Christopher Fusco. I am the managing partner of Callahan & Fusco, LLC with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.