Omaha police ticket boxing champ Crawford for reckless driving, order him out of vehicle at gunpoint

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha police ordered champion boxer Terence “Bud” Crawford out of his vehicle at gunpoint during a traffic stop for reckless driving early Sunday, hours after his hometown held a parade to celebrate his victory over Canelo Alvarez two weeks ago.

A video circulating on social media showed a portion of the traffic stop. Police Chief Todd Schmaderer ordered an internal affairs investigation, a move Mayor John Ewing said he supported.

According to a news release, officers working in the downtown area observed a vehicle driving recklessly shortly before 1:30 a.m. While speaking with the driver, an officer observed a gun on the driver’s side floorboard. All four occupants were ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint.

The driver was later identified as Crawford upon verification of his driver’s license. Crawford was ticketed for reckless driving. One passenger, a member of Crawford’s security team, was also found to be carrying a legal firearm. Police confirmed all occupants of the vehicle are legally permitted to carry firearms. A police supervisor and lieutenant responded to the scene at Crawford’s request.

Crawford’s spokeswoman said Sunday night that he had no comment.

Ewing said in a Facebook post that he spoke to Crawford after he learned of the traffic stop.

“I acknowledge the seriousness of what occurred and how trust between law enforcement and our community is important and shows the need to be continuously vigilant about building relationships,” Ewing said. “Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer has pledged an internal investigation, which I support and want to be full and thorough. We will gather all the facts and be transparent with the public about our findings.”

Crawford became the unified super middleweight champion with his unanimous decision victory over Alvarez in Las Vegas. He became the first male boxer to capture three unified division titles. Crawford is 42-0 with 31 knockouts.

The city held a parade through downtown in Crawford’s honor during the day, and a party to celebrate his 38th birthday was held at a live music venue near where the traffic stop occurred.

“Understand that my heart dropped in learning of this end to an otherwise wonderful day and evening celebrating our city’s world boxing champion,” Ewing said. “Omaha needs to remember this important day as a good one while we seek answers to how it ended. Meanwhile, we must ensure that every resident, no matter who they are, feels safe and respected in Omaha.”

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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/hub/boxing