Pittsburgh police say confrontational, and even aggressive, behavior toward officers, a bar's staff and an unknown woman led to the Saturday arrest of Penn State football player Tyrell Sales.
Sales, who was charged with defiant trespass and disorderly conduct, is set to have a preliminary hearing today in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh police arrested Sales Saturday outside Margarita Mama's in Station Square. Police said Sales refused to comply with requests from the club's management staff that he leave the property after they saw him involved in a confrontation with a woman he did not know.
According to court documents, Sales also refused to leave after police officers told him again that he would not be permitted to enter Margarita Mama's.
The club's management told police they denied Sales entrance because they did not need any additional confrontations inside their establishment.
"[Sales] instead began yelling and screaming at officers, balling his fists up and gritting his teeth, acting in an aggressive manner," the complaint states. Police reported that Sales then screamed several obscenities of a threatening nature at police officers.
Sales continued to act aggressively, police said, which caused a group of people to gather to watch. Court documents state that Sales then said police officers told him to leave Margarita Mama's because of his race.
Police officers eventually arrested Sales after they said he "refused several orders to cease his disorderly/aggressive actions and remove himself from the location," according to court documents.
Sales was taken to the Allegheny County Jail for the safety of himself and others, according to court documents.
Sales was one of six Penn State football players charged last April for their alleged involvement in an April 1 altercation in a downtown State College apartment, according to court documents. He faced charges of disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and harassment in connection with the incident, but his charges have since been dropped.
Team spokesman Jeff Nelson declined to comment in an e-mail message last night.
