Panthers tight end Ian Thomas is facing five misdemeanor charges stemming from an arrest last July following an incident with police in Huntersville, NC.
According to a report by The Athletic, Thomas, who was driving an unregistered and uninsured 2017 Honda dirt bike, and the unidentified driver of a red ATV were pulled over by Huntersville police for not having license plates.
Police say Thomas and the driver of the ATV then accelerated after appearing to slow down and veered into an oncoming lane of traffic around 9:30 p.m. The driver of ATV managed to escape while Thomas eventually stopped roughly a mile and a half from his house and was subsequently arrested.
Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office court document show Thomas was charged with reckless driving, operating a vehicle without insurance, driving with a revoked license, failure to heed an officer’s light/signal and felony fleeing to elude.
The lone felony count has since been reduced to a misdemeanor, per The Athletic. Thomas is set for a court appearance in August.
A Panthers spokesman told The Athletic that the team was aware of the incident at the time and promptly notified the NFL. The club declined to provide further comment on the matter.
Thomas, 25, signed a three-year, $16.95 million deal to remain in Carolina last week. The former fourth-rounder tallied 18 receptions for 188 yards in 17 games played (13 starts) in 2021.
