Hawks player arrested outside Philips Arena
Atlanta Hawks reserve forward Josh Powell was arrested before Saturday night's game at Philips Arena after police say he repeatedly refused to move his car that was blocking an ambulance.
The Riverdale High School graduate was charged with failure to obey an authorized officer directing traffic, failure to yield to emergency equipment and obstruction, Atlanta Police spokesman Curtis Davenport told the AJC.
According to police, Powell was attempting to turn onto Park Avenue West from Marietta Street late Saturday afternoon but was unable to do so because of heavy traffic caused by this weekend's SEC basketball tournament. Powell's car was blocking the clogged intersection, making it impossible for the ambulance to proceed, Davenport said.
"The officer approached Mr. Powell's vehicle and told him numerous times to go straight through the intersection ... [he] refused and was placed under arrest," Davenport said.
Powell, 28, was not in uniform as the Hawks took the court early Saturday evening against the Portland Trail Blazers . The seven-year NBA veteran signed with Atlanta last summer after winning two championship rings as a back-up forward/center for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hawks spokesman Arthur Triche said the organization was made aware charges had been filed against Powell but declined additional comment.
Powell has bonded out of jail, Channel 2 Action News reported Sunday.
--Staff writer Michael Cunningham contributed to this article.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
