Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman was arrested Friday night and held without bail on weapons charges after a traffic stop by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies, who said Saturday they found five guns in his vehicle, including two illegal assault-style weapons.
Perryman, 32, was stopped by deputies from the South Los Angeles Station at 9:30 p.m. for a vehicle code violation, the LASD said in a statement to the Southern California News Group on Saturday. He is scheduled to appear in an Inglewood courtroom Tuesday.
“During the traffic stop deputies discovered five firearms in Mr. Perryman’s vehicle, two of which were assault style rifles,” the LASD said in a statement. “He was arrested and booked on weapons violation charges and was cooperative with deputies.”
A Chargers spokesman said, “We are aware of a matter involving Denzel and are gathering information,” and referred a reporter to Perryman’s agent Ron Butler for further comment. Butler said in a statement that he also was aware of Perryman’s arrest and “will fully cooperate with the process.”
“Denzel is a respected veteran in the NFL and a dedicated father, teammate and professional,” Butler said in a statement first obtained by the NFL Network. “While we do not take this situation lightly, we remain confident that the matter will be resolved fairly and in accordance with the law.
“Out of respect for the process and all parties involved, we will have no further comment at this time.”
Perryman is entering his second season in his second stint with the Chargers. He was a second-round draft pick by the then-San Diego Chargers in 2015 and played through 2020. He also played for the Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans.
Last season, upon returning to the Chargers, he had 55 tackles in 11 games as a starting right inside linebacker. He was expected to return to that role again this season, his 11th in the NFL since he was drafted from the University of Miami. Overall, he has 717 tackles over 119 career games.
Staff writer Sydney Barragan contributed to this report.