Artest arrested in domestic incident
Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest was arrested Monday and excused indefinitely from the team after a woman said he shoved her to the floor inside his home and prevented her from calling 911.
Placer County sheriff’s authorities said the woman reported she and Artest were arguing inside the home when he pushed her. The argument moved outside when Artest tried to leave in his Hummer, Sgt. Andrew Scott said.
“It resulted in some pushing,” Scott said of the argument. “Mr. Artest had shoved the victim to the floor several times, then he attempted to leave.”
Scott would not disclose the woman’s relationship with Artest but said a 3-year-old girl was inside the house during the incident.
Deputies arrived about 9:30 a.m. at Artest’s estate in the Sacramento suburb of Loomis and arrested him on suspicion of domestic violence, spokeswoman Dena Erwin said. He also was booked on suspicion of using force or violence to prevent the woman from reporting a crime.
“He was very cooperative,” Scott said of Artest, found sitting calmly outside the home. “He gave no problems to any of the officers on scene.”
Artest, the central figure in the infamous 2004 brawl between Indiana Pacers players and Detroit Pistons fans, was booked into the Placer County Jail and released on $50,000 bail.
Officers have been called to Artest’s home at least once before, but there were no arrests, Erwin said.
Geoff Petrie, the Kings’ president of basketball operations, said the team was removing Artest from the team, pending a full investigation.
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Miami guard Dwyane Wade decided to delay surgery and rehabilitate his dislocated left shoulder with the goal of returning to help the Heat defend its league title.
“It could have been easy for me just to shut it down,” said Wade, who disclosed that he also has a torn labrum. “You don’t know if you’re going to be able to attack the same way and dive on the floor the same way. I’ll find out after therapy and rehab how my body responds to things.”
Wade underwent extensive tests and received a second opinion from specialist James Andrews.
Wade was hurt Feb. 21 in a collision with Houston’s Shane Battier, and the Heat is 4-2 since.
