Auburn quarterback TJ Finley arrested for eluding police in attempted traffic stop
was arrested Thursday for eluding police on some form of moped as officers attempted to stop him for a traffic violation.
On July 26, one week before the arrest, police attempted to stop Finley for not wearing a helmet. The Auburn quarterback fled from police and “committed several other traffic offenses in the process,” according to a police statement. “Officers terminated the pursuit on both occasions as a matter of safety.”
Finley was on a motorcycle, according to Auburn police department’s news release. But in a statement from Finley’s lawyer released to the Montgomery Advertiser on Thursday, the vehicle Finley was driving was described as a scooter, not a motorcycle.
Finley was eventually identified, and police obtained an arrest warrant. Finley turned himself in on Thursday after hearing about the warrant. He was held in custody at the Lee County Detention Center, but by mid-afternoon, he was back at Auburn football’s team facility, where players reported for the start of preseason practices.
Davis Whittelsey, the Lee County attorney representing Finley, described the pending charges as a “misunderstanding.”
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“The charges are in the process of being handled in the Municipal Court within the city of Auburn as all traffic citations are,” Whittelsey said in his statement. “As soon as T.J. learned of the charges, he turned himself in and has been released on a bond he signed for himself. His first day of football camp with Auburn University has been a success.”