Former NBA journeyman Samaki Walker is facing drug possession charges after being arrested near Kingman, reports the Associated Press.
Walker was released from the Mohave County Jail after being booked for destruction of evidence, possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and prescription drugs.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, an officer pulled the 35-year-old over on Thursday for a routine traffic stop. The officer allegedly was able to detect the smell of marijuana wafting from his car, agency spokesman Captain Stephen Harrison said, which led to a search of Walker's vehicle.
The officer reportedly found one gram of marijuana, 259 prescription pills and eight bottles of an unknown prescription, which is currently undergoing testing to identify the substances, the Associated Press said. However, conflicting reports from WTOV9 in Ohio, Walker's place of birth, stated that officials seized approximately 10 grams of marijuana and Walker tried to ingest eight grams of the herb before he was arrested.
Walker allegedly admitted that he did not have a prescription for the drugs and that some of them were steroids.
Although the Fourth Amendment protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures without a valid warrant, the police may pull over drivers if an officer possesses a reasonable and articulable suspicion that the driver has violated a traffic law. Once the vehicle is pulled over, the Fourth Amendment permits the officer to search the vehicle's interior, including the glove compartment.
Walker, who lives in Woodland Hills, Calif., has no connection with the Mohave County area, and police currently do not know why he was in the area.
Since playing for the University of Louisville and being chosen as a first-round draft pick for Dallas in 1996, Walker has bounced around from several teams in the NBA, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards and Indiana Pacers. He is best known for his time with the Lakers, where he was a part of the 2001-2002 championship-winning team.
Samaki Walker was released from jail on Friday evening after posting bail for his drug possession charges.
Related Resources:
- Find a Phoenix Criminal Defense Attorney (FindLaw)
- Ex-NBA Player Arrested on Drug Charges in Arizona (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
- Your Rights: Search and Seizure (FindLaw)
- The Fourth Amendment "Reasonableness" Requirement (FindLaw)
- Mitch Mustain Arrested: Ex-USC QB Held on Drug Charge (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
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