Alabama suspended defensive back Tony Mitchell following a high-speed police chase and an arrest on drug charges.
Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban announced the suspension Monday “until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is.”
Mitchell and a passenger were arrested on March 15 by the Holmes County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to sell and/or deliver.
According to an arrest report obtained by AL.com, Mitchell was clocked at 141 mph during the police pursuit and authorities recovered about 8 ounces of marijuana and $7,000 in cash from the vehicle.
Authorities also recovered a loaded firearm from the vehicle and charged the passenger, Christopher Lewis, with carrying a concealed firearm without a permit.
Alabama opened spring practice Monday without Mitchell, a true freshman and former four-star cornerback from Alabaster, Ala.
“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions,” Saban said. “There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ve got to be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around and what you do, who you associate yourself with and the situations that you put yourself in.
“It is what it is, but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”
The Crimson Tide open the 2023 season on Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
–Field Level Media