People tend to make assumptions about who might try to outrun the police. One that isn’t super common is that the person in question is gainfully employed as a well-off professional athlete. According to the Arkansas State Police, that’s exactly what they just dealt with.
Video from the chase appears to show former NFL and current Canadian Football League player Dillon Mitchell creating a very unwelcome offseason storyline for himself.
The 28-year-old allegedly fled from multiple agencies while driving a black Ford Mustang southbound on U.S. 63. According to the trooper’s report, Mitchell repeatedly passed vehicles on the shoulder, used the center lane to overtake traffic, and ran a red light while traveling at triple-digit speeds.
The pursuit continued onto Interstate 555, where the Mustang reportedly exceeded 100 miles per hour.
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Near mile marker 47 on 555, Mitchell attempts to overtake a car and sneak off of the highway and onto the off-ramp. His maneuver doesn’t go anywhere near as planned.
He loses control, slams into the exit sign, rolls into the grass, and ultimately pulls over on the shoulder. He then gets out of the car and awaits his arrest while using his phone.
There isn’t any audio of the initial encounter but it appears as though Mitchell is very nonchalant considering what just went down.
He appears to plead with the officer over the use of his phone before authorities handcuff him and bring him back to their cruiser. Once in the car, he says to the officer, “Will you please tell me why I’m being arrested?”
It turns out that he’s now facing several charges, including felony fleeing, DWI in the first degree, refusal to submit to a chemical test, reckless driving, speeding more than 15 miles per hour, no driver’s license, careless and prohibited driving, and disregarding a red light.
Mitchell’s team, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, released the following statement:
“This morning, we learned of an incident involving Dillon Mitchell that took place last week. The Club is gathering additional information and will not be providing further comment at this time.”