Steelers cornerback Justin Layne was arrested Friday on a gun charge in Ohio but police video of the traffic stop obtained by TMZ includes a handcuffed Layne in the backseat of the police car saying, “They acting like I got some drugs. I got one blunt!”
Layne reportedly was pulled over for driving 89 miles per hour in a 60-mile-per-hour zone. Police informed him that a records check showed he was driving with a suspended license and had an outstanding warrant, per the video, for failure to appear on a traffic violation in another jurisdiction.
“I’m nervous as f—, bro,” the 23-year-old Layne said as he made a phone call from inside the police car. “They about to get me. They might get me for the pistol, bro.”
He later added, “It’s over, bro. I’m going down. I can’t go down.”
Police searched the car after smelling marijuana and seeing loose particles of the drug scattered throughout the vehicle, according to an Associated Press report citing police records. The search revealed a loaded Glock pistol in the center console that Layne told police he forgot was in the car.
Asked by the police if he wanted to explain anything found upon a search of the car, Layne declined, according to the video. When asked specifically about the gun without the proper permit, he said it belonged to him. Layne twice informed the police he is a NFL player.
Justin Layne APHe was arrested on a fourth-degree felony charge of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, Willoughby Hills police told the Associated Press.
Layne also reportedly was charged with two misdemeanors – driving with a suspended license and exceeding speed limits – before he was released on bond. He is subject to discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy, regardless of how the incident plays out in the legal system.
The third-round pick out of Michigan State in 2019 played in 16 games for the Steelers last season. He is a native of the Cleveland suburbs.
