Barry Cofield had some productive seasons during his NFL career with the New York Giants and Washington Redskins, but it sounds like life after football is not going well for the former defensive tackle.
Michael Williams of the Orlando Sentinel reports that Cofield was arrested on Tuesday for heroin possession after he crashed into a police car in Lake Mary, Fla. Officers found Cofield at around 2:30 a.m. passed out behind the wheel of his car at a traffic light, and police tried to wake him for several minutes while his foot was on the brake. Cofield eventually woke from his slumber and stepped on the gas, which is when things turned ugly.
Here’s more:
Authorities say Cofield led police on a pursuit. During the chase, Cofield’s car “did not stop, but did not take evasive manuevers to avoid me,” a Seminole County deputy wrote in an arrest report.
Deputies say Cofield side-swiped a car near Lake Mary Boulevard and International Parkway before driving away.
Authorities were able to stop Cofield’s car near a gate in the Steeple Chase subdivision. Cofield rammed a Seminole County deputy’s car as it tried blocking him in, according to an arrest report.
Deputies told Cofield to get out of his car several times without success, court documents state. He finally opened his door when a deputy began shattering his window, authorities said.
After Cofield was finally placed under arrest, officers found two small bags of heroin in his pocket. He refused to submit to a sobriety test after police said his breath smelled of alcohol. The 34-year-old has been charged with possession of heroin, fleeing and eluding, and aggravated assault on a police officer.
Cofield played in the NFL from 2006 to 2015. He was part of the Giants’ Super Bowl team that spoiled the New England Patriots’ undefeated season in 2008.
