December 27, 2017
A wrecked Chevy Silverado registered to former Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, now with the Buccaneers, was found abandoned in Tampa, Fla. on Sunday night and during a search of the vehicle, local police discovered hollow-point bullets and marijuana, according to an NFL.com report.
The truck reportedly left the road and crashed into a tree before the driver fled the scene. Inside, police found 6.3 grams of marijuana – under state law, possession of less than 20 grams is considered a misdemeanor – and two .38 caliber hollow-point bullets, which are legal in Florida.
The 31-year-old wideout maintains that he wasn't in the truck at the time of the accident and none of what was found in the vehicle belonged to him. No arrests have been made.
Here's more from Mike Garafolo of NFL.com:
Jackson was contacted by police and later responded to the scene, the report states. Jackson initially declined to cooperate, then gave officers the name of the alleged driver, per a police source. Jackson declined to assist officers in getting the driver back to the scene, per the source.
"It was a friend of DeSean's who borrowed his car while he was out of town," Denise White, a representative for Jackson, said. "None of what was in the car was his obviously. He's dealing with the person that was using it without his knowledge privately. The incident is being handled." [nfl.com]
Back in January of 2014, Jackson's Philadelphia home was burglarized under somewhat mysterious circumstances while the then-Eagle was out of town. There were no signs of forced entry, but the surveillance system had been removed and a large amount of cash, as well as a 9mm handgun, had been taken from his safe.
Later that same offseason, one in which he expressed a desire to renegotiate his contract following a career year in 2013 under first-year coach Chip Kelly, Jackson was released by the Eagles amid reports of gang associations, although it was never confirmed that those reports had anything to do with the team's decision to part ways. Jackson, who signed with the Redskins in April 2014, later admitted to ESPN The Magazine that he still associated with gang members he knew from his youth, but maintained that he had never been in a gang himself.
Then, in 2015, five people were robbed at gunpoint by four armed intruders in Jackson's Los Angeles home.
According to Garafolo, the Bucs declined to comment on the current investigation. Jackson, who signed a three-year, $33.5 million deal with Tampa last offseason, didn't travel to the team's Week 16 game in Carolina due to an ankle injury and is doubtful for their season finale against the Falcons. In 14 games this season, Jackson has 50 receptions for 668 yards and three touchdowns.
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