Former NFL player Demetrius Byrd has been arrested and is being held in a Miami-Dade jail on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The incident occurred Monday afternoon on a Miami Beach bus, according to an arrest record.
Byrd, 40, was reportedly involved in a heated argument with another passenger on the bus. The arrest report states that Byrd allegedly produced a silver multi-tool, opened a blade, and approached the other passenger while saying, “Who wants to die?” The passenger told police that he had attempted to de-escalate the situation after boarding the bus and noticing Byrd yelling at other passengers. Byrd then allegedly produced the tool in response to being told to be quiet.
Following a hearing for the assault charge, Byrd was assigned a $5,000 bond. However, he remains in custody due to an outstanding warrant related to a separate domestic violence case. He is scheduled to appear before a judge for this matter.
Byrd, originally from Miami-Dade County, had a notable college football career at LSU, where he was part of the 2007 national championship team. He is remembered for catching the game-winning touchdown with one second remaining in a game against Auburn. He concluded his college career with 72 catches for 1,134 yards and 11 touchdowns. His professional NFL career was brief; he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round but spent his only season on the non-football injury list due to an injury sustained in a car accident before the 2009 NFL Draft. He was released by the Chargers in 2010.