Cops: Brawling Lions DE Ronnell Lewis Tasered twice by officers

Dave Birkett, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

Detroit Lions defensive end Ronnell Lewis was Tasered twice and arrested on three misdemeanor charges for his role in an alleged bar fight over the weekend, Norman, Okla., police said Tuesday.

Lewis, a fourth-round pick who played one defensive snap for the Lions last year, was arrested about 1:30 a.m. Saturday after he and another man were physically removed from a Norman bar.

According to a police affidavit, Lewis punched the other man, Herve Sivuilu, with his right fist as Sivuilu was on the ground.

An officer discharged his Taser, but Lewis continued to try to fight Sivuilu, the report said. When the officer discharged his Taser a second time, the report said, Lewis went to the ground.

Lewis and Sivuilu were charged with disturbing the police, public intoxication and interference with an official process.

"We are aware of the incident involving Ronnell Lewis," the Lions said in a statement. "We are in the process of gathering more information and have no further comment at this time."

Lewis, who was expected to play an expanded role on defense after the release Kyle Vanden Bosch and the free-agent departure of Cliff Avril, is the second Lions player arrested in the past month.

Safety Amari Spievey was charged in late March with felony assault and misdemeanor risk of injury to a child and disorderly conduct after a dispute with his live-in girlfriend over child-support payments. Spievey entered a family counseling program and his lawyer said he expected all charges to be dropped in June.

Last year, the Lions dealt with an arrest or citation every month during the off-season and parted ways with two of the four players who ran afoul of the law before training camp.

Johnny Culbreath, an offensive tackle who never appeared in a game for the Lions, was arrested on marijuana possession in January 2012. Running back Mikel Leshoure was cited twice for marijuana possession in February and March. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley was arrested on separate marijuana and driving under the influence of alcohol charges in April and May. And cornerback Aaron Berry was charged with a DUI last June and three counts of simple assault for allegedly brandishing a firearm in July.

Berry was released days after his second arrest, Culbreath was cut in July, and Fairley and Leshoure, first- and second-round picks in 2011, remain with the team.

Leshoure served a two-game NFL-issued suspension at the start of last season after pleading guilty to his charges. Fairley's second arrest is still making its way through the legal system.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz said at the NFL owners meetings in March that his team's off-field problems were not a distraction during last year's disappointing 4-12 season.

"Honestly, that was brought up by you guys (the media)," Schwartz said. "That wasn't a distraction at all, particularly once we got to training camp. The distraction involved in that was in (off-season workouts) and early in training camp when guys got a mic stuck in their face and said, 'What do you think about it?'

"That was the only time they would think about it. The rest of the time, they were going on and doing their thing. Once the season began, once we got into training camp, I don't think that was a dynamic at all when it came to our team."

The Lions are in the market for help in defensive end in this week's draft. Lewis, Willie Young and free-agent addition Jason Jones are the only defensive ends on the roster.

Birkett writes for the Detroit Free Press, a Gannett property.

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