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New York Jets' Sheldon Richardson charged in high-speed chase

By Jerry Beach, The Sports Xchange
Sheldon Richardson, defensive tackle from Missouri, holds up a Jets Jersey and after the New York Jets select him as the #13 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25, 2013. UPI /Rich Kane
Sheldon Richardson, defensive tackle from Missouri, holds up a Jets Jersey and after the New York Jets select him as the #13 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25, 2013. UPI /Rich Kane | License Photo

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson flashed his familiar defiance Thursday afternoon when he arrived at training camp and declared he was "not a dope fiend" despite receiving a four-game suspension for failing a marijuana test earlier this summer.

Maybe he's not a dope fiend, but the Jets found out a few hours later that Richardson sure is a speed demon.

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St. Louis media outlets reported late Thursday afternoon that Richardson, who resides in Missouri during the offseason, was arrested in St. Charles County on July 14 and charged with multiple traffic violations as well as resisting arrest.

According to the police incident report, Richardson was clocked driving at 143 mph along Interstate 64 in "what appeared to be a road race." Police tried to pull over Richardson, who sped away, blew through a red light and turned off his lights as he pulled into a driveway that wasn't his.

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At that point, the police finally caught up to Richardson. He was ordered to step out of the car at gunpoint, along with two adult male passengers, because an officer said he saw Richardson reach under his feet. Upon searching the car, police found a loaded semi-automatic handgun underneath the floor mat on the driver's side.

Police also reported that a 12-year-old boy stepped out of the car and that the vehicle carried with it a strong smell of marijuana. However, Richardson was charged with neither gun possession, because the gun was legally registered to him, nor marijuana possession.

He was issued summonses and must appear in court on Oct. 27 to be arraigned on the resisting arrest charge. If convicted, Richardson could face up to one year in prison and/or a fine of as much as $1,000.

The arrest comes at an exceedingly bad time for Richardson, who was already off to a poor start with the Jets' new regime of head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan after his suspension, which was announced just 12 days before his arrest. That the Jets learned about Richardson's arrest at the same time as the rest of the world will surely worsen this relationship with the team.

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The Jets issued a statement Thursday in which they said they were "gathering information" and would issue no other comment because it is a "pending legal matter."

The arrest could make it far easier for the Jets to decide which of their building block defensive line stars to keep long term. New York likely won't be able to retain both Richardson, who is signed through 2016, and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, who is entering the final year of his contract.

Wilkerson has been displeased by the lack of progress on a new contract, but he reported to training camp Wednesday and pledged not to be a distraction. Wilkerson has never had a whiff of off-field trouble and is a local product -- he is a New Jersey native and went to college at Temple in Philadelphia -- who is heavily involved in the Jets' community activities.

Now, thanks to Richardson, Wilkerson might find that new contract easier to obtain. Richardson, on the other hand, might have hastened his own exit.

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