Video footage has been released from New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore's arrest last month in his hometown of Cleveland.
Lattimore was charged for possessing a loaded handgun that was believed to be stolen, which is a fourth-degree felony. He was also initially arrested for failure to notify officers of a concealed weapon.
The video shows that Lattimore did not immediately tell officers he was carrying a concealed weapon while seated in the passenger seat of a vehicle that was pulled over for traffic violations. But when they asked whether anyone was carrying a gun, Lattimore told them he had a loaded Smith & Wesson gun tucked under his pants. He said he didn't want to look like he was reaching for anything. He also told them he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
One officer warned Lattimore that "You're going to shoot your d--- off." Another added, "Get yourself a holster, bro."
Officers also suggested that Lattimore and others in the car appeared to smoke an abundance of marijuana. When they asked whether he had any drugs besides weed, Lattimore said no.
Eventually, officers realized who Lattimore was. And one of them said, "The amount of stuff you got going for you ... it's not like you're a F'-ing chump out there, bro."
"I know, I'm not," Lattimore responded. "I'm just back home."
Lattimore spent two nights in Cuyahoga County Jail before being released on bond. The case was next slated to head to a grand jury to determine whether he will be formally indicted.
Two additional passengers, Kenyon Moon and Maurice Walton, were arrested on a charge of having weapons while under disability. The driver, Carl Willis, was arrested on a charge of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.
Lattimore, 24, is one of the NFL's top cornerbacks and is heading into the final year of his rookie contract with the Saints. He has been selected to three Pro Bowls and was named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 after being drafted in the first round out of Ohio State.