Colt Lyerla, the former Oregon Ducks tight end and Hillsboro High School star was arrested by Tigard police in Washington County for heroin possession on Sunday.

A Tigard officer was patrolling early Sunday when he spotted a car parked behind a Chevron gas station off Oregon 99W and near Oregon 217 at about 1:30 a.m., said Jim Wolf, a Tigard Police spokesman. The business was closed, Wolf said, so the officer thought the car was suspicious.

As the officer approached the car, he could see the lone occupant - whom police later identified as Lyerla -- using a lighter. When the officer directed Lyerla to get out of the car and to show his hands, he didn't comply, Wolf said.

"Initially, Lyerla presented some resistance to arrest," he said.

The officer took out his Taser during the encounter, Wolf said, but Lyerla complied with his orders and he did not use the weapon. Lyerla was not booked on an accusation of resisting arrest, Wolf said, because his actions did not rise to the level of the charge.

The arresting officer added more detail of the circumstances surrounding Lyerla's arrest in the probable cause affidavit that was released Monday:

Lyerla, dressed in a jail-issued orange jumpsuit, made his first appearance Monday afternoon in Washington County Circuit Court. He stepped up to the glass window, looking into the courtroom at the county jail, and quickly waved to some supporters in the gallery.

During the brief hearing before Judge Suzanne Upton, he pleaded not guilty to one count of possessing heroin, a felony. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 6.

Lyerla was a standout athlete at Hillsboro High School with offers from college football programs around the country before deciding to sign with the Oregon Ducks and head coach Chip Kelly in 2011. As a true freshman, he played tight end and caught 7 passes for 147 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Colt Lyerla.

In 2013, Lyerla began having trouble off the field. He missed a game against Tennessee and was suspended for the next game against Colorado before quitting the football team altogether. Shortly after leaving the program, Lyerla was arrested and later pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of cocaine.

After failing to stick with an NFL team, Lyerla tried out several avenues to get his football career back on track. He played rugby in France for a short time and most recently signed on to play for the Portland Steel of the Arena Football League in March.

In a two-part video interview series with The Oregonian/OregonLive, Lyerla discussed his time at Oregon, his relationship with coach Chip Kelly and expressed his desire to resurrect his football career among other things.

Part 1:

Part 2:

We will continue to update this story with more information as it becomes available.

The Oregonian/OregonLive's Washington Country crime and law enforcement reporter Rebecca Woolington has contributed to this report.