Mall security tipped police on Rodman

Noaki Schwartz

COSTA MESA -- South Coast Plaza security tipped off police Wednesday

after former basketball star Dennis Rodman’s alleged disruptive behavior

at a restaurant led them to believe he was drunk.

Rodman’s lawyer, Paul S. Meyer, could not be reached for comment.

The ex-Los Angeles Laker and two friends were driving away from The

Clubhouse restaurant at 5:30 p.m., when police stopped a Bentley driving

by Rodman and arrested him. Police on Thursday said officers noticed that

Rodman’s backseat passenger wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

Police responding to the call stopped and arrested Rodman after a

on-the-scene test indicated that his blood-alcohol level may have been

above the legal limit, said Costa Mesa Police Chief Dave Snowden.

However, several of the restaurant’s patrons that night said they saw

Rodman have only one beer at the bar and that his behavior was pleasant.

Once at Costa Mesa Jail, the ex-Los Angeles Laker opted to take a blood

test, the results of which will be revealed next week. Rodman was

released later that night on $2,500 bail.

“He was not stumbling around or slurring his speech. He came over and we

talked a little while,” said one patron, Jay Chedder, who added that

although he does not approve of drunk driving, it did not appear that

Rodman was intoxicated.

Jim Hall, spokesman for The Clubhouse, refused to comment.

Still, police weren’t taking any chances and Snowden said he stands

behind the decision to act on the tip from the security personnel at

South Coast Plaza.

“It’s normal. We get informants on drunk drivers all the time,” Snowden

said. “People don’t like drunk drivers on the highway.”