New Orleans PD issues arrest warrant for Odell Beckham Jr. on simple battery charge

Zac Al-Khateeb

New Orleans PD issues arrest warrant for Odell Beckham Jr. on simple battery charge image

It seems Odell Beckham Jr.'s antics Monday night were not limited to handing out cash to LSU players.

New Orleans TV station WDSU, citing a law enforcement source, reported Thursday that the New Orleans Police Department issued a warrant — on a simple battery charge — for Beckham's arrest. Yahoo Sports later reported the department sought a warrant on misdemeanor sexual battery, but the judge declined it. They accepted it after NOPD rewrote it for for simple battery.

Video of the incident shows Beckham, a former Tigers and current Cleveland Browns receiver, engaging an officer in LSU's locker following its 42-25 win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff championship game. The video shows Beckham allegedly slapping the officer's backside when he had his back turned. The officer turned around to verbally confront Beckham but did not engage him physically.

MORE: How OBJ accidentally clowned NCAA in cash handout

The confrontation likely stems from the fact that police told LSU players following the game they could not smoke cigars in the locker room. Reports from AL.com's Michael Casagrande indicated police threatened arrest of players who did not stop smoking.

The Browns also issued a statement on Beckham shortly after news broke on Thursday:

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.