Lake Oswego police officers didn't have reasonable suspicion to ask the Portland Timbers' team captain to perform a field sobriety test while they were investigating an October crash involving his teammate, the player's attorneys contend.



Evidence against 32-year-old Liam Ridgewell should be suppressed because officers knew he wasn't involved in the crash nor a witness to it and should have been allowed to leave, lawyers Christine Mascal and Sean Riddell claim in a motion filed in Lake Oswego Municipal Court.

But instead, the officers continued to detain Ridgewell and gave him a field sobriety test without any physical evidence that he committed a crime, his attorneys contend in the court filing.



Ridgewell, who is originally from England and lives in Lake Oswego, is accused of driving under the influence of intoxicants.



Prosecutors and defense attorneys plan to argue the motion to suppress evidence in Lake Oswego Municipal Court Wednesday morning.



The Oct. 24 crash involved Ridgewell's teammate Jake Gleeson, who rear-ended another driver in Lake Oswego while driving drunk. Police said the goalkeeper called Ridgewell for help and Ridgewell drove to the scene. Both men later failed field sobriety tests, refused breath tests to record their blood alcohol contents and were arrested.



Gleeson, 26, was pleaded no contest last month to driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving. He also pleaded guilty to refusing to take a breath test. He was allowed to enter a one-year alcohol diversion program.



According to the new motion, Ridgewell showed no signs of intoxication while he interacted with the two Lake Oswego officers who responded to the crash near Pilkington Road and Willow Lane. At one point, one of the officers told Ridgewell that he didn't see him driving, couldn't smell any alcohol on him and suggested he call someone to drive him home.



But after at least 15 minutes of questioning, one of the officers asked Ridgewell to undergo an eye test to determine if he would be able to drive home, the motion said.



After the crash, Ridgewell and Gleeson apologized to fans, their families, the Timbers organization and Major League Soccer in statements after the crash. MLS said both men would be assessed by the league's Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey