Ohio State freshman running back Bri’onte Dunn has been charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia over the weekend in Alliance, Ohio, according to an Alliance Police Department report obtained by The Lantern.
Dunn, 19, was pulled over around 11:08 p.m. Saturday and charged with four different misdemeanors including possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, a tail-light violation and not wearing his seatbelt.
According to the police report, Dunn was pulled over near the intersection of E. Broadway Street and Arch Ave. in Alliance after failing to stop behind the white line.
Dunn’s car traveled past the crosswalk, nearly ran a red blinking light, and almost struck the observing officer’s patrol car, according to the report.
After pulling him over, police found that Dunn and passenger McKensey Cross had a wooden pipe used for smoking marijuana, along with less than 200 grams of marijuana in the pipe, on the seat cushions and on the floor of the vehicle.
A small amount of the drug was also found in the driver’s door pocket, according to the police report.
As originally reported Sunday night and Monday morning by The Repository in Canton, Dunn was not arrested or taken into jail, despite an earlier report from ESPN radio affiliate WKNR Cleveland that stated otherwise.
OSU athletics spokesman Jerry Emig said he was unable to confirm or comment on Dunn’s alleged incident and did not return further requests for comment.
Alliance Police department officials did not immediately respond to multiple voicemails from The Lantern for comment regarding the freshman running back.
Dunn ran for 5,479 rushing yards in his high school career.
He spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Alliance High School in Alliance, Ohio, before playing his final two years at GlenOak High School outside of Canton.
At GlenOak, Dunn was honored as a first-team Division I Ohio All-State selection as a junior and senior.
Dunn, who enrolled early at OSU, ran for 21 yards in the Buckeyes’ annual Spring Game on April 21.
He and junior running back Carlos Hyde are expected to help share carries in OSU’s season-opener against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 1 after projected starter senior running back Jordan Hall underwent surgery on his foot after stepping on a piece of glass on June 29.
It is uncertain, though, if or how much time Hall could miss as a result of the surgery.
Dunn isn’t the first OSU player in trouble with the law since the end of spring practices.
On June 2, redshirt senior tight end Jake Stoneburner and redshirt junior offensive lineman Jack Mewhort were arrested for obstructing official business after the two fled police after urinating in public.
A day later, first-year coach Urban Meyer suspended Stoneburner and Mewhort from the team before removing them from their athletic scholarships for the summer until certain stipulations between Meyer and the two are successfully met.
Similarly, senior linebacker Storm Klein was arrested on charges of domestic violence and abuse on July 6 after allegedly “purposefully” throwing an alleged female victim “against the front door” according to NBC4.
Just a day later, Meyer removed Klein from the team citing in a released statement that “his arrest and the seriousness of the allegations warranted Meyer to remove him from the team.”
As of Monday afternoon, it is not known whether Meyer has any disciplinary action against Dunn, nor has the coach released a statement regarding the charges against the freshman.
Dunn did not immediately respond to The Lantern’s request for comment.
