New Sacramento Kings power forward Zach Randolph was arrested last night in Los Angeles. This unexpected news has shocked the NBA and wider sports community. Whether the team will release Randolph is unknown at this time.
Randolph arrested on felony charge
Last night Zach Randolph was arrested for marijuana possession with intent to sell, which is a felony charge. He was arrested at 11 p.m. and released on $20,000 bail on Thursday morning. According to ABC-7 in Los Angeles, his arrest was part of a night disturbance that resulted in five LAPD vehicles and one sheriff's vehicle being damaged.
As part of the disturbance police also recovered two firearms, impounded two vehicles, and seized narcotics.
LAPD officials told ABC-7 that officers were on routine patrol when they came across a group blocking a street at Nickerson Garden projects in Watt. When trying to disperse the crowd, who were drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and playing loud music, the situation escalated. Officers then say they called for backup as people started throwing bottles, with the situation resulting in police vehicles with slashed tires and smashed windows.
Randolph's past incidents with the law
Zach Randolph's agent and attorney Raymond Brothers said in a statement that the charges lobbied against Randolph are “false and misleading.” Brothers said that they are looking into options to resolve the matter.
Back in 2009, Randolph was arrested for DUI in the Culver City area of L.A. and was suspended two games by the Los Angeles Clippers following the incident.
In 2010, a friend of his was arrested on a marijuana charge in Indianapolis. The friend was driving Randolph's sports utility vehicle, which contained a cooler full of the drug.
The arrest was made after an informant's tip said that Randolph was involved with area drug dealers. However, Randolph maintained that he was not involved and he was not charged in the incident.
Incident comes shortly after Kings acquire him
The Sacramento Kings signed Zach Randolph about a month ago to a two-year, $24 million deal. Last season, the 36-year-old transitioned into a sixth man role.
He averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 24.5 minutes per game. The two-time All-Star had 20 double-doubles coming off the bench last season, the most in the NBA. Randolph was signed along with George Hill and Vince Carter to provide a veteran presence to a relatively young Kings team.
