LSU football player Derrick Odom III was arrested tonight on a misdemeanor charge of simple criminal damage to property. In the same incident, a warrant was issued for former LSU football player and current U.S. track athlete Xavier Carter on a felony charge of simple criminal damage to property.
The arrest marks Odom’s second in less than a month, as the redshirt freshman linebacker was booked in late August on charges of simple assault, attempted unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling and two counts of simple criminal damage to property.
Arrest warrants for Odom and Carter were filed Sept. 11 in the 19th Judicial District Court. Maj. Lawrence Rabalais of the LSU Police Department said Odom was issued a misdemeanor summons at approximately 7:45 tonight and released soon after.
Sports Information Director Michael Bonnette said late tonight that LSU coach Les Miles had no immediate comment on Odom’s arrest. Miles suspended Odom for the previous arrest, but the suspension was lifted this past week.
“I don’t know what his knowledge is [about the arrest],” Bonnette said. “It’s my understanding that he’s looking into it. He tries to handle these things in a fairly quick fashion.”
According to the warrant, accuser Marla Bruton was driving on Sept. 1 in the West Campus Apartments parking lot when a “white vehicle” with open doors blocked the traffic lane. Bruton said she asked “the several black male occupants” to move their vehicle.
Odom allegedly “rammed” his body against the left side of her 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier. Bruton said Carter then jumped on top of her car’s roof “like it was a trampoline.”
Steven Williams, whom Rabalais said is a University student, then allegedly kicked in Bruton’s left window, causing glass to shatter. Rabalais said a warrant has also been issued for Williams on a misdemeanor charge of simple criminal damage to property.
According to the warrant, the defendants fled the scene before LSUPD arrived.
Bruton is an LSU Football Operations Center employee and recognized Odom and Carter because of her job capacity, according to the report.
Attorney Nathan Fisher represents Odom for his previous charges but said he is not yet representing him for the current charge.
“I doubt whether that charge will go any place,” Fisher said. “It’s unfortunate that this young lady jumped to a conclusion.”
The Gaffney family, who accused Odom of his previous criminal charges, recommended in late August that those charges against Odom be dropped.
Fisher said the East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney’s office has not yet dropped the first charges.
Rabalais said Carter will be arrested once he returns to the United States from a track meet overseas. Carter decided in 2006 to forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility to pursue a professional track career.
—–Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]