Former NFL star allegedly runs car into three teens at LA park

LOS ANGELES - Former NFL player Lawrence Phillips was back on the football field, and soon after he was back in jail.
Already a fugitive from police who wanted him in connection with domestic violence in San Diego, the former NFL running back was arrested after allegedly running down three teenagers with a stolen car Sunday in Exposition Park. - NFL Football -
He was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and domestic abuse and held without bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Web site.
Police had been seeking the 30-year-old former running back since earlier this month for allegedly attacking his girlfriend twice, once choking her into unconsciousness, they said. It wasn't immediately clear whether Phillips had an attorney to represent him.
Phillips joined a group of 16- and 17-year-olds in a pickup football game in Exposition Park on Sunday and got into an argument with several of the teens, said Los Angeles Police Officer Sandra Escalante. He left the park but returned and drove a black Honda onto the field, allegedly running into three teenage boys, she said.
The teenagers were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
"I went over the car, hit the windshield and hit the roof of the car, and I rolled off," one of them, Rodney Flores, told KCAL-TV. Flores said he didn't know Phillips was a former professional.
"When I heard he got hit by a car, I thought my son was crossing the street," said the teen's mother, Myrna Flores. "I never expected to know that my son was on the grass when he got on the grass and did this to him and his friends." - NFL Football -
Police pursued Phillips as soon as he drove onto the field. They chased him for several blocks, and when he stopped they approached with guns drawn.
The car Phillips was driving was reported stolen in San Diego earlier in the week, Escalante said. It had a broken windshield and a dented hood after the incident.
San Diego Police had offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to Phillips' whereabouts and said he had indicated he wouldn't surrender peacefully. He recently told an officer, "There's no way you're going to arrest me," according to Lieutenant Kathy Healey.
The first domestic assault, in which police say Phillips' 28-year-old girlfriend was choked, allegedly occurred Aug. 2 at her San Diego home. Police said the second assault allegedly took place 11 days later when Phillips confronted the woman at a party.
In both cases he left the scene before officers could arrest him,
Police have said Phillips is also wanted on an outstanding felony warrant from Los Angeles for an unrelated domestic violence case. - NFL Football -
The 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound former University of Nebraska star has a history of high-profile trouble with the law going back a decade to his time as one of the nation's top college football players.
He was drafted sixth overall in 1996 by the St. Louis Rams despite pleading no contest to a charge of domestic violence in a confrontation with a girlfriend. He was released for insubordination in 1997 after 25 games with the Rams.
Phillips signed with the Miami Dolphins later in the 1997 season but was released after pleading no contest to hitting a woman in a nightclub. - NFL Football -
He was the top offensive player in NFL Europe in 1999 after setting league records for rushing and touchdowns with the Barcelona Dragons.
He signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 1999 but was released for missing a practice. He later played in the Canadian Football League but was dropped from two teams for behavioral problems. - NFL Football -
He was charged in Quebec in late 2003 with sexual assault, assault and uttering threats, apparently against another girlfriend. He was denied entry into Canada last year when he attempted to appear in court on those charges because of his criminal history.

ANDREW DALTON
Associated Press