Former LSU star receiver Demetrius Byrd has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after pulling a knife and threatening passengers on a Miami-Dade bus.
Byrd, a Florida native who hails from Miami-Dade County, was arrested around 2 PM EST on Monday after reportedly getting into an argument with another passenger.
According to reports, the argument between Byrd and the other passenger escalated, culminating in the former LSU Tiger pulling a multi-tool from his pocket and pulling out a blade, asking, “Who wants to die?”
The victim claims that when he boarded the bus, he found Byrd yelling at other passengers. He attempted to de-escalate the situation, but those attempts failed. The victim told Byrd to be quiet; the former player pulled out the blade in response.
As the New York Post reports, “Byrd, 40, was handed a $5,000 bond following his hearing for the assault charge, but he remains detained as he is required to appear before a judge for an outstanding warrant in a separate domestic violence case.”
Byrd was a promising prospect coming out for the 2009 NFL Draft. An injury sustained in a car accident just before the draft, however, would significantly hinder his NFL future.
The then-San Diego Chargers made Byrd their seventh-round selection of that year’s draft. Ultimately, Byrd was placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list in his sole season in the league before being released in 2010.
His signature moment came in 2007, when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass against Auburn, which helped ensure LSU’s path to an eventual national championship victory.
In his career, Byrd caught 72 passes for 1,134 yards and 11 touchdowns.