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Ex-Bobcats player arrested in D.C.
STEVE LYTTLE
slyttle@charlotteobserver.com
A former Charlotte Bobcats player was arrested by early Wednesday morning on gun charges a few blocks from the White House, the Secret Service has reported.
Lonnie Baxter, who played last season with the Bobcats but recently joined a European professional basketball team, was taken into custody about 2:30 a.m. and charged with carrying a pistol without a license.
His arrest followed an incident in which a witness reported someone fired shots from a vehicle which Baxter was driving, police said.
Eric Zahren, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said agents from that law enforcement agency were notified this morning by a motorist that someone had fired shots from a white SUV nearby. Secret Service agents and District of Columbia police responded, arresting Baxter near the corner of I Street and 17th Street.
“There were spent shell casings in plain view inside the vehicle,” Zahren said in a statement.
Both Baxter, 27, and the vehicle's passenger, 35-year-old Irvin Martin, were charged with carrying a pistol without a license and other firearms charges. It wasn't immediately clear why they were allegedly firing the gun.
"We're not sure at this point," Zahren said. "There may be some subsequent charges if we discover some additional information."
The two suspects are being held by District of Columbia police.
Bobcats spokesman Scott Leightman said Baxter is no longer with the team. "His contract ran out, and we opted not to resign him," Leightman said.
Baxter, 27, played four seasons in the NBA after a college career at the University of Maryland. He was traded to the Bobcats last season from the Houston Rockets and played with several other NBA teams.
According to wire reports, Baxter signed last week with Montepaschi Siena, a team in the Italian professional league.
Former Cat Baxter Arrested
