A former NFL player accused of drunkenly hitting one man and urinating on a woman during a flight from Boston to Dublin has been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, the Massachusetts State Police said on Monday.
Gosder Cherilus, a first-round pick for the Detroit Lions in 2008 and also played for also played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was arrested early on Sunday after the Delta flight returned to Logan International Airport.
Troopers ordered the 40-year-old from Wakefield, near Boston, to leave the plane but he “became irate and uncooperative,” police said. He was then arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and disturbing a flight crew.
According to the police report, he appeared drunk when he boarded the plane, allegedly argued with the flight crew about his seat and an hour into the flight urinated on an elderly woman. He then hit another passenger and took that passenger’s seat before passing out, the report says.
The Boston Globe said Cherilus was arraigned Monday in East Boston District Court.
“It’s pretty egregious what you did, as alleged,” Judge DelVecchio told Cherilus.
In a post on social media, Cherilus apologized to the passengers and flight crew, saying he had taken a sleeping medication that he doesn’t normally use and that caused his behavior.
In a statement on Monday, Delta confirmed there had been an “unruly customer” on the flight and that the other passengers were later flown to Dublin. The airline did not say how long the flight was delayed.
“Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful behavior and will cooperate with law enforcement to that end,” the company said in a statement. “We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel.”