Maurice Clarett Attorney Claims Police Abuse

Maurice Clarett was struck and maced after he was handcuffed by police his attorney claims.  Clarett, a former NCAA football star, was arrested after a wild police chase.

Maurice Clarett Attorney Claims Police Abuse

Clarett was charged with carrying a concealed weapon after officers found three semiautomatic handguns and an assault rifle, all loaded, in the SUV.

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Now his attorney Michael Hoague is saying that the one-time star running back is a victim of police abuse.

The attorney contends Clarett was sprayed with pepper spray and struck after he surrendered following an early morning chase last week, his lawyer said Sunday.

"It is our contention that both of those things occurred after he was in handcuffs," said attorney Michael Hoague, who added that his client obeyed police commands.

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Hoague also said a blow to the face bloodied Clarett's lip and on reports that he spit at the arresting officers the lawyer claims that he was trying to clear his mouth of blood and pepper spray, not spit at the police.

The attorney also provide other details of the chase and capture to reporters and the Associated Press reports that during the pursuit, Clarett called his mother and fiancé to tell them he loved them. He asked his mother to call his lawyer, Hoague said.

"A person who calls his loved ones to say, 'I'm about to go to jail,' does not have the mind-set to put up a fight," Hoague said, adding that Clarett laid on the ground when he surrendered.

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Josh Hart originally reported last week that Clarett was clad in a bullet proof vest when he was arrested by police.  In the bizarre story the former NFL draft pick of the Denver Broncos was nabbed in Ohio after making an illegal U-Turn in Columbus.

He failed to stop when officers tried to pull him over, and that led to a police chase.

According to reports police said they pursued Clarett onto the eastbound lanes of I-70, and he then chose to cross the median, making yet another U-Turn and began heading west.

Clarett then drove his SUV drove over a spike strip which flattened the driver's side tires, a police spokesman said.  A police helicopter in the area helped track the vehicle, reports detail.

Officers used Mace to subdue Clarett after a stun gun was ineffective because the former Fiesta Bowl star was wearing a bullet-resistant vest, Sgt. Michael Woods told reporters.

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"It took several officers to get him handcuffed," Woods said. "Even after he was placed in the paddy wagon, he was still kicking at the doors and being a problem for the officers."

His total bail is now over $6 million.  A judge raised his bond to $1.1 million in the robbery case (in which he is accused of holding up two people outside a downtown Columbus bar on New Year's Day).

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Bond for the concealed weapons charge was set at $5 million, which Clarett's attorneys said he most likely wouldn't be able to pay, reports AP.

--Jim Roberts with wire and broadcast reports

Josh Hart contributed to this report