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Summary:
- Terence Crawford was stopped by police and asked to get out at gunpoint on Sunday, one day after his victory against Canelo Alvarez.
- Officers cited him for reckless driving after spotting a gun on the floorboard; all firearms found were legally carried.
- Police Chief Todd Schmaderer initiated an internal review, which Mayor John Ewing supported.
Just hours after Omaha pulled out the bells and whistles to honor Terence “Bud” Crawford’s latest win over Canelo Alvarez, the world champion boxer found himself in an unsettling encounter with local police. Early Sunday morning, officers pulled the 38-year-old over and ordered him out of his vehicle at gunpoint during a traffic stop for reckless driving in the state of Nebraska.
Mayor Ewing: “I Support That Decision”
Once footage of the traffic incident began circulating on social media, city officials had a swift reaction, with Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer announcing that the department’s internal affairs unit would be reviewing the stop.
“I support that decision”, said Mayor John Ewing, thus standing behind the call to further assess what had occurred.
According to the police report, officers patrolling the downtown Omaha area noticed a vehicle driving recklessly shortly before 1:30 a.m. At the time when they approached the driver, they saw a firearm on the floorboard next to him.
This prompted them to draw their weapons and ask all four occupants of the vehicle to exit at gunpoint. The driver was confirmed to be Crawford once officers checked his license. The boxer, who was also coincidentally celebrating his birthday on the same day, was cited for reckless driving, but he was not placed under arrest.
Officers discovered that a member of Crawford’s personal security team was also carrying a firearm. Later, it was clarified that all armed passengers had legal permits to carry firearms. Crawford asked that a police supervisor and a lieutenant be called to the scene.
Sour Taste Post Victory
While there were no further charges brought against Crawford, the encounter was a sharp contrast to the previous day’s events, when the entire city threw a big parade in his honor, celebrating his win over one of boxing’s biggest names.
The fighter, widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, having gone 41-0 across three weight classes, secured multiple world titles, and knocked out 31 of his 41 opponents, was met with thousands of cheering fans in downtown Omaha.
The video of the stop, however, painted a much different picture, with Crawford standing outside his vehicle with police officers pointing their weapons, a scene that quickly drew public attention.
While the investigation is underway, Crawford himself has chosen not to address the matter publicly. On Sunday night, his spokeswoman stated that the boxer didn’t wish to make any comments.
