Laurence Maroney Arrested on Weapons, Drug Charges in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (CBS/KMOV/AP) NFL player Laurence Maroney has been arrested by St. Louis police.

Maroney, 25, was held on unlawful weapons charges and drug charges. Maroney was released from jail early Tuesday morning.

CBS affiliate KMOV confirms Maroney and five other men in their mid-twenties were in a vehicle pulled over by officers late Monday night near Chaifetz Arena. Police say Maroney and his friends had three guns on them.

Maroney is a back-up running back for the Denver Broncos. He was traded at the beginning of the 2010 season by the New England Patriots, who drafted Maroney in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft.

Maroney's publicist, Jane Higgins, confirmed that he was one of those arrested on the weapons allegation. She denied Maroney was arrested for drugs.

"He holds a permit to carry a concealed weapon," Higgins said in a statement. "He was not arrested for any drugs nor was he involved in a high-speed chase. He was released without being charged with any offense and we do not anticipate he will be charged with any criminal offense."

Police spokeswoman Erica Van Ross said one of the men had a valid concealed weapon permit but that state law prohibits possessing a gun while under the influence of drugs. She declined to elaborate.

Police say applications for warrants could take up to a month, pending the results of a crime lab report on what is believed to be marijuana.

Police mention nothing about a high speed chase in their report. They say around 10:30 p.m. Monday "three vehicles were circling Chaifetz Arena and causing traffic to slow when the persons in the vehicles repeatedly stopped the vehicles in order to talk to passersby. Several of the occupants of the vehicles were observed smoking what was believed to be marijuana. Officers stopped two of the vehicles but a third fled from police and was not located."

Five other people were in the other vehicle pulled over by police. One of them, a 28-year-old man, was arrested for being a felon in possession of a weapon.