LOS ANGELES — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward was handcuffed at gunpoint early Thursday during a traffic stop in which Los Angeles police thought the car he was in was stolen, TMZ reported.

Ward, who is a contestant on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” was a passenger in a Honda Civic when police pulled the car over at around 2am local time Thursday.

Ward and the female driver were reportedly ordered out of the car by police, who had drawn their guns, and both were handcuffed.

According to police sources who spoke to TMZ, the officers ran the license plate and discovered the vehicle had recently been reported stolen.

Ward and the driver were not arrested, however, after the woman told police she had reported the car stolen after an incident involving a valet. After getting her car back, she never called authorities to remove the alert on the vehicle.

Ward and the woman were released after police verified her story, according to TMZ.

The 35-year-old NFL veteran is one of the last five remaining celebrities on the hit show, along with Ralph Macchio, Romeo, Kirstie Alley, and Chelsea Kane.