San Diego Chargers Say Linebacker Steve Foley Shot By Off-Duty Police Officer

By BERNIE WILSON

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Chargers linebacker Steve Foley was shot by an off-duty policeman in front of his suburban home Sunday. Coach Marty Schottenheimer said the wounds were not life-threatening.

“All we’re worried about is that he’s OK,” Schottenheimer told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

The early morning shooting occurred after the officer reported seeing a suspected drunken driver weaving in and out of traffic on an area highway and attempting to pull him over, said sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Brugos.

“My understanding is he was shot three times in front of his house by an off-duty officer and that he’s in surgery,” Foley’s agent, David Levine, told The Associated Press.

Paramedics were called to the suburban San Diego neighbourhood at 3:47 a.m. and transferred a trauma victim to Sharp Memorial Hospital, according to a fire department dispatcher.

Hospital spokeswoman Kathy Gambito said she did not have any information on a patient named Steve Foley.

“We have confirmed that linebacker Steve Foley was shot early this morning,” team spokesman Bill Johnston said in a statement. “We’ll try to provide more information as it becomes available. Right now all of our thoughts are with Steve.”

Foley has played eight seasons in the NFL, for Cincinnati, Houston and San Diego.

The shooting came eight days before the Chargers were scheduled to open the season at Oakland, and was the second time in four months that Foley has been involved in an incident with police.

Foley was arrested April 21 on charges of resisting arrest after police said he scuffled with officers. Foley also was booked on charges of battery on a police officer and public drunkenness.

The district attorney’s office said recently it was not pursuing charges against Foley in that incident.