WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Ohio (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Justin Layne was arrested Friday in Ohio after police said they found a loaded gun in his car during an early morning traffic stop.
Layne, 23, was arrested on a fourth-degree felony charge of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, Willoughby Hills police said.
Police said they stopped Layne at about 1:20 a.m. when his Dodge Charger was going 89 mph in a 60 mph zone. A records check showed he was driving with a suspended license and he had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear on a traffic violation in another jurisdiction, police said.
They said they searched the car after smelling marijuana and seeing loose particles of it scattered throughout the vehicle. That search revealed a loaded Glock pistol in the center console, police said. They said Layne wasn’t a licensed conceal-carry permit holder in Ohio.
Layne was arrested on the gun charge and cited on the related traffic violations. He was taken to the county jail to await arraignment.
According to the police report, Layne acknowledged the gun was his and said he forgot it was there.
Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten issued a statement that said: “We are aware of the incident but still gathering information. We will have no further comment at this time.”
Layne played 16 games but made no starts last season for the Steelers, who selected him out of Michigan State in the third round of the 2019 draft. He had 10 tackles on defense and 12 more on special teams last season.
