Colts Receiver Keenan Allen Arrested in Indianapolis

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen was arrested on drunken driving charges on Sunday. Allen faces charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OVWI) and OWVI, endangering a person.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said they arrested Allen and took him into custody at around 1 am ET on Sunday.

Allen Showed Visible Signs of Intoxication

Police approached Allen’s vehicle as it was parked in a no-parking zone. The officers said he showed “signs of intoxication,” leading to his arrest.

The police held Allen for just over 12 hours, eventually releasing him at around 3:30 pm. He will answer to the two misdemeanor charges in court on September 16.

The charge threatens to derail his move to the Colts. He joined the team earlier this month on a one-year deal and featured in Indianapolis’ pre-season friendly game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday.

Colts Gathering More Information

Allen caught one pass for 24 yards in the match against the Lions. The Colts said they are now investigating the incident.

“We are aware of the incident involving Keenan Allen last night,” the franchise said in a statement to ESPN. “We are in the process of gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.”

Indianapolis will open the regular season at home against the Baltimore Ravens on September 13. It remains to be seen whether Allen will feature in the match.

In addition to Allen, the Colts made the unlikely move for Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball forward Carson Towt as an undrafted free agent tight end.

Towt featured for the Colts in their preseason opener against the Patriots, but days later he is now on the injury reserve list. As a result, Indianapolis did not name him in its 53-man roster announced August 30.

Coach Full Of Praise For Allen

Allen joined the Colts with much optimism around his addition. Going into his 14th year, he has caught over a thousand passes in the league.

“He’s the most cerebral receiver I’ve ever been around,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said. “He sees the game like a quarterback.”

Since 1977, Allen has had the sixth-most chain-moving catches on third down, with 251. That is not far behind second-place Cris Carter’s 267. Jerry Rice leads the way with 306.

“He’s a bigger body guy and can create separation,” quarterback Daniel Jones said. “I think on third down, he’s been huge, you look at the past few years. Just another guy who knows how to get open and create space, I think that’s helpful to have.”

“It’s going to be real fun,” Steichen added. Allen’s arrest adds an extra headache for the coach ahead of the new season.