Steelers nose tackle Ta’amu suspended two games after arrest

Pittsburgh, PA, United States (4E Sports) – Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has suspended rookie nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu without pay for two games after he was arrested over the weekend.

Tomlin said the suspension is effective immediately, making the rookie unavailable when the Steelers take on the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Redskins in the next two weeks.

During the suspension, Tomlin said the 22-year-old Ta’amu will not be able to play, practice or attend team meetings.

A fourth-round draft pick by the Steelers, the 6-3, 348-pound Ta’amu has not played in any of the team’s first five games.

Despite calling the rookie’s action a “detriment to our efforts”, Tomlin said the team was not ready to part ways with the former University of Washington standout.

Ta’amu was arrested and charged with attempting to elude police, driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, aggravated assault by a vehicle while DUI, aggravated assault, and resisting arrest and escape.

According to a police report, the incident began when an off-duty officer spotted a 2006 Lincoln Navigator that was driving recklessly, swerving across the double-yellow lines and passing several vehicles at a time.

Another officer working an off-duty detail at a South Side bar approached the vehicle as it slowed down. The complaint said the officer “drew his handgun and shouted “Police! Stop the vehicle!” while approaching the car.

The reports said the vehicle driven by Ta’amu then swerved and took off, speeding outbound in the wrong lane of traffic.

Police chased the Navigator on foot while it struck three or four parked cars, injuring several people who needed medical attention.

After allegedly hitting a fourth car, Ta’amu abandoned the Navigator and began fleeing the scene on foot with officers ordering him to stop. He was finally caught in the parking pad.

While being arrested, Ta’amu appeared to be reaching something from his waist, prompting an officer to punch him in the face.

Ta’amu was given a breathalyzer test and taken to the Allegheny County Jail. He registered a blood alcohol content of .196 percent, more than twice the legal limit.

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