Ty Lawson, a former player for the Denver Nuggets, was arrested in Colorado on suspicion of shoplifting a bottle of vodka. The incident occurred on July 16 in Castle Rock, a suburb of Denver.
According to an arrest affidavit, the owner of a liquor store reported a man entering the establishment and stealing a bottle of Tito's Vodka. The owner stated she witnessed the man, later identified as Lawson, appearing intoxicated and consuming some of the vodka before going to a nearby restaurant.
Lawson, 38, faces a charge of shoplifting, as the value of the stolen item was less than $300. He was booked into the Douglas County Jail. A friend of Lawson's, who was found with the bottle, was initially detained but later released after police determined he was not involved in the theft.
Lawson had an eight-year NBA career, during which he earned an estimated $43 million. He was the 18th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft after helping the University of North Carolina win the national championship. He played six seasons with the Nuggets and also had stints with the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Indiana Pacers.
Lawson has a history of off-court issues. He was arrested twice for DUIs in 2015 and was banned from the Chinese Basketball Association in 2020 for making derogatory remarks.