JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Lerentee McCray was arrested in Central Florida early Sunday morning following a high-speed pursuit after police attempted to pull him over, records show. McCray was booked into the Lake County Jail in Tavares, Florida, just before 8 a.m. ET Sunday and released at 9:11 a.m. after paying a $5,000 bond. He was charged with fleeing/eluding police with disregard of safety to person or property, a second-degree felony, and also issued a citation for speeding, according to the booking report.
“We are aware of the situation and are gathering more information,” the Jaguars said in a statement. “We have no further comment at this time.”
According to a Fruitland Park Police Department report, a patrol officer observed a white Dodge Ram pickup truck traveling at 88 mph in a 50 mph zone just before 1 a.m. Sunday. The officer tried to initiate a traffic stop but the driver used “an expletive hand gesture using their middle finger” and continued driving, the report said.
The first officer was joined by a second and they pursued the vehicle at speeds up to 100 mph before calling off the chase because the vehicle was being driven recklessly and swerving across three lanes of traffic, according to the police report.
The FPPD officer was later notified by members of the Tavares Police Department that McCray had come to a stop and appeared to be in an “altered mental status.” He was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation.
According to the police report, when McCray was interviewed at the hospital by the FPPD officer who initially tried to pull him over, he acknowledged he was the driver of the vehicle in question and responded, “Oh that was you? My bad.”
After receiving treatment, McCray was arrested and transported to the Lake County Jail. He is scheduled to appear for arraignment on Feb. 14.
McCray has spent the past four seasons with the Jaguars as a core special teams player and part-time defensive player. He has 37 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 47 games and is scheduled to become a free agent in March.
McCray played two seasons in Denver and one in Buffalo before signing with the Jaguars in 2017.