MIAMI, June 24 (UPI) -- Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was formally charged Friday with a firearms violation and battery.
The charges, one count of aggravated assault with a firearm and one misdemeanor count of simple battery, stemmed from an incident in his hometown of Miami on June 1, when he pointed a gun at two men he thought had stolen two of his all-terrain vehicles.
The Washington Post reported that neither Taylor, a first-round draft pick in 2004, nor his attorney, Edward Carhart, were in court when the charges were filed by a Florida state's attorney.
The paper said Carhart had arranged to be informed of any charges by telephone after which he would then relay them to his client. A tentative court date was set for September 12. Taylor faces a possible three-year prison term.
The Redskins play their season opener on Sunday, Sept. 11, against the Chicago Bears.
