Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Saturday morning by the California Highway Patrol, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
A team spokesman said the Seahawks are aware of the situation and still gathering information.
Lynch, who signed a four-year, $32 million deal to remain in Seattle this offseason, was arrested after a traffic stop on Interstate 880 in Oakland early Saturday and taken to Santa Rita jail, the Mercury News reported.
Lynch was cooperative and submitted to a blood test once he was in custody, according to the report. His blood-alcohol level was over the California state limit of 0.08, said a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol who declined to provide the exact number.
Lynch was cited for driving under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit of 0.08 percent, both misdemeanors, and released.
Lynch was in his hometown of Oakland last week to award a scholarship to a recent high school graduate through his foundation, which he oversees with his cousin, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Josh Johnson.
This is Lynch’s first incident since joining the Seahawks in a midseason trade with Buffalo in 2010. While playing in Buffalo, Lynch, 26, had his drivers’ license revoked after pleading guilty to striking a pedestrian outside a bar in Buffalo at 3:30 a.m. and leaving the scene.
Lynch said he was unaware that he struck the women.
He also was suspended by the NFL for three games in 2009 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor weapons charge.
Lynch became the first Seattle running back to rush for more than 1,000 yards since 2005 last year, finishing with 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns, and earning his second trip to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii as an alternate.
Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437eric.wiliams@thenewstribune.com
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