WEBBER ARRESTED: WIZARD CHARGED WITH MARIJUANA POSSESSION

Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- Washington Wizards star Chris Webber was arrested Tuesday and
charged with assault, marijuana possession and several traffic offenses
after he allegedly resisted Prince George's County, Md., police officers
who were trying to take him into custody and impound the 1998 Lincoln
Navigator he was driving.

Authorities said officers used pepper spray on Webber, who had neither
registration documents for the vehicle nor a driver's license, after he
refused to get out of the sports-utility vehicle and pushed away an
officer.

``The officer attempted to remove him,'' Prince George's police spokesman
Royce Holloway said. ``He resisted, an assault occurred. The (pepper) spray
was deployed to effect the arrest.''

Webber, 24, was stopped about 9:30 a.m. in Landover, Md., on the way to a
10 a.m. practice at the MCI Center in downtown Washington. He was charged
with three misdemeanor and six traffic offenses, including resisting
arrest, speeding and driving under the influence of a controlled, dangerous
substance, and was held in police custody for more than six hours before he
was released on his own recognizance about 4:15 p.m. after appearing before
a court commissioner. His trial has been scheduled for April 2.

Although classified as a misdemeanor under Maryland law, the second-degree
assault charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine
of $2,500.

Obscured from public view during the brief proceeding, Webber left
afterward by a rear exit and did not speak to reporters. His attorney,
Bruce Marcus, declined to comment on the incident, as did Wizards
officials. Webber could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Police sources said Tuesday night that a Breathalyzer test performed on
Webber at the police station showed he had no alcohol in his system.
However, a drug recognition expert who examined Webber at the station found
him to be under the influence of drugs, police sources said.

According to the charging documents, the butt of a marijuana cigarette was
found in the front center ashtray of the vehicle and marijuana residue was
found on the floor behind the driver's seat. Marijuana is not a banned
substance under the NBA's anti-drug policy.

``Unfortunately, at this time, we are not in a position to make any
statements,'' Marcus said after the hearing. Of Webber, Marcus said, ``He's
looking forward to his trial.''

Wizards Coach Bernie Bickerstaff said Tuesday night: ``I think what's
important is Chris Webber the person and not Chris Webber the basketball
player. I think what teams are about and families are about is taking care
of each other in times like these. And sometimes that means you have to
look something in the eye and deal with it.''

Webber is the latest Wizards player to have a brush with the law. In
November 1996, Juwan Howard was charged with drunken driving. The charges
were dropped after Howard agreed to enter an alcohol rehabilitation and
education program. Last September, Rod Strickland was charged with drunken
driving and disorderly conduct. His trial is scheduled for Feb. 24.

Webber left the University of Michigan in 1993 after his sophomore year and
was selected by Orlando with the first pick in the NBA draft, then was
traded to the Warriors. But after a highly publicized feud with
then-Warriors Coach Don Nelson, Webber was traded in November 1994 to
Washington.

Webber scored 31 points Saturday in a victory over the Los Angeles
Clippers. He has scored 20 or more points in 12 straight games.

``I definitely want to do whatever I can do to support my boy. When I heard
about it at practice, I was scared for him,'' Howard said. ``Skip the
distraction. I'm worried about him. I want to know he's all right. We, as a
team, can deal with all that on another level.''

The Associated Press contributed to this report.