TAMPA — In June, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Arron Sears grabbed a police officer's arms and pushed his 360-pound body against him in an attempt to flee his room at Tampa General Hospital, according to police.
Sears was being hospitalized at the request of his personal physician under the Baker Act, which empowers police officers to take people who appear likely to harm themselves or others in for mental evaluation, said Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.
The incident led to a warrant being filed against Sears on the charge of battery on a law enforcement officer.
On Saturday, Hillsborough County deputies had found Sears wandering in the middle of the road near 7950 Gunn Highway. They arrested him on the Tampa warrant from June. He remained in custody Monday night.
In the June incident, Sears became combative when a nurse asked him to change into a paper gown, McElroy said.
A police officer, who was there on extra duty because of a previous incident at the hospital in which it took 10 people to subdue Sears, stepped in when Sears fled the room, she said.
That's when Sears grabbed the officer's arms and pushed his body against him. Sears also pushed a nurse, sending the nurse 4 or 5 feet into the air, McElroy said.
The officer used a Taser to subdue Sears and he was eventually returned to his hospital room.
The officer pressed charges against Sears in hopes he would receive court-mandated medical health counseling, she said.
Sears, a second-round pick in 2007, was named to the all-rookie team and started 31 games over his first two seasons. But he suffered an undisclosed psychological problem before the 2009 season and was later placed on the non-football-related illness list.
He returned to workouts near the end of last season, but was released in April.
Sears was being hospitalized at the request of his personal physician under the Baker Act, which empowers police officers to take people who appear likely to harm themselves or others in for mental evaluation, said Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.
The incident led to a warrant being filed against Sears on the charge of battery on a law enforcement officer.
On Saturday, Hillsborough County deputies had found Sears wandering in the middle of the road near 7950 Gunn Highway. They arrested him on the Tampa warrant from June. He remained in custody Monday night.
In the June incident, Sears became combative when a nurse asked him to change into a paper gown, McElroy said.
A police officer, who was there on extra duty because of a previous incident at the hospital in which it took 10 people to subdue Sears, stepped in when Sears fled the room, she said.
That's when Sears grabbed the officer's arms and pushed his body against him. Sears also pushed a nurse, sending the nurse 4 or 5 feet into the air, McElroy said.
The officer used a Taser to subdue Sears and he was eventually returned to his hospital room.
The officer pressed charges against Sears in hopes he would receive court-mandated medical health counseling, she said.
Sears, a second-round pick in 2007, was named to the all-rookie team and started 31 games over his first two seasons. But he suffered an undisclosed psychological problem before the 2009 season and was later placed on the non-football-related illness list.
He returned to workouts near the end of last season, but was released in April.
