Washington running back Johri Fogerson was jailed by the Washington State Patrol in Snohomish County early Thursday on suspicion of resisting arrest and possession of 40 grams or less of marijuana, according to the Snohomish County booking registry.
Fogerson was pulled over at 12:25 a.m. on 164th Street and 2nd Avenue in the Mill Creek area for having a headlight out.
Officers spotted a bag of marijuana inside the vehicle. The baggie containing marijuana was handed to the officer who then asked him to step out of the vehicle.
The officer went to handcuff Fogerson and informed him he was under arrest. That is when Fogerson fled eastbound on foot, eluding officers.
The state patrol was informed about 3:20 a.m. that Fogerson wanted to turn himself in. He was booked into Snohomish County jail around 3:50 a.m.
Both charges are misdemeanors.
Fogerson was released at 10:53 a.m. from Snohomish County jail.
Washington released a statement on the matter:
“We are aware of an arrest of a member of the UW football team,” Washington football coach Steve Sarkisian said. “We are still gathering information and, if and when any action is taken on our part, we will have further comment.”
The university also said it will have no further comment.
Washington assesses criminal activity on a case-by-case basis. There is no set policy that delineates clear response between a misdemeanor or felony.
Also, the university, like most, does not conduct formal background checks of recruits, an issue that surfaced in wake of a Sports Illustrated report Wednesday. A university spokesman stressed that the coaches are very thorough and do their due diligence during the recruiting process.
Fogerson spent most of his 2010 junior season on the sideline because of a hip injury. The 6-1, 191-pound running back from Kent had just one carry for six yards prior to the injury.
He has played safety and running back for Washington. He was expected to be part of the running back rotation next season. Washington was seeking a medical redshirt for Fogerson after last season’s injury.
Fogerson would face heavy competition for playing time in the fall. Chris Polk, Jesse Callier, Deontae Cooper and incoming freshman Bishop Sankey are expected to compete for carries, with Polk the workhorse of the group.
This is the first arrest for a Washington player since Sarkisian took over the program two years ago. Prior to the Holiday Bowl, Sarkisian talked about how happy he was that players continued to make the right decisions while other schools, notably Holiday Bowl opponent Nebraska, had players in trouble with the law.
