NEW ORLEANS — The arrest of New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes is under investigation after the NBA player was tased twice— a police officer handling Hayes may have also put pressure on the player's neck, according to LAPD.
The Los Angeles Police Department released their account of what happened on Wednesday morning when Hayes was arrested in California.
According to the LAPD, officers were sent to a Los Angeles area home just before 3 a.m. on July 28 to investigate what police called a "domestic disturbance."
Police said, Hayes was in the front yard when they arrived, and they asked him to stay outside of the home while they went to speak to the woman inside.
According to LAPD, body camera video shows Hayes trying to enter the residence while police officers block him and tell him to get back. Police said they were trying to handcuff Hayes when he pushed an officer into the wall.
Officers then used physical force to push Hayes to the ground and handcuff him. He was tased twice in the process, according to police.
A Force Investigation Unit is investigating if force was applied to Hayes' neck during his arrest, according to police.
Both Hayes and a police officer were treated for minor injuries at a hospital and have since been released.
Hayes was arrested for resisting arrest and booked with felony battery on a law enforcement officer, according to police records.
He has since posted $25,000 bail.
The woman at the residence refused to cooperate with the police investigation, according to LAPD.
Yesterday, the Pelicans said they're aware of the incident and gathering more information.
Hayes was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 draft. So far, he's spent his NBA career as the Pelicans backup center, but showed flashes of his potential at the end of the 2020 NBA season.