Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham has yet to surrender himself to police after an arrest warrant was issued, and the New Orleans District Attorney is not happy.
An arrest warrant was issued over Beckham’s actions in the LSU locker room following the Tigers’ blowout win over Clemson to win the College Football National Championship.
As the team celebrated in the locker room, Beckham, a former LSU star, appeared to slap the behind of a security officer (watch here). That officer was so upset at being smacked in the buttocks that he resisted the urge to punch Beckham, and wanted to arrest him on the spot.
On Friday, New Orleans District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro went on record to say he hopes Beckham surrenders himself so that this “silly” issue can end.
“I would hope that he would turn himself in so this matter can be disposed of,” Cannizzaro said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.
He continued, issuing some harsh commentary on how Beckham’s actions caused the spotlight to be turned away from LSU’s championship.
“It’s very disturbing to me, I will be very candid with you about that,’’ Cannizzaro, who will decide whether to prosecute Beckham, said. “At a time when we should be celebrating in my opinion, probably one of the greatest football teams in the history of America, probably one of the best quarterbacks we’ve ever seen in the history of this country, a great coaching staff, when all of the focus should be on these young men and their accomplishments, unfortunately we see this very, very silly and uncalled for event by someone that has now caused the whole focus of what should be a celebratory event to be now sanctioned and to be scrutinized now by LSU, to be scrutinized by the SEC, by the NCAA, by the NFL and now our police department and ultimately this office.”
Finally, Cannizzaro said that, “as a citizen I am disturbed and sort of put out by this event.’’
Likely, his thoughts resonate with many Tigers fans in Louisiana.