(CNN) — The New Orleans Police Department has obtained an arrest warrant for Cleveland Browns star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on a charge of misdemeanor simple battery, it said Thursday.
The warrant stems from a Monday incident at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, where the 27-year-old was on hand to see his alma mater, LSU, win the national championship over the Clemson Tigers.
Police provided no further information.
The Cleveland Browns said they’ve been in touch with Beckham and his representatives about the matter.
“They are cooperating with the proper authorities to appropriately address the situation,” the team said.
CNN has reached out to Beckham about the incident.
The former LSU wideout was already under scrutiny for his postgame antics.
He was captured on video giving cash handshakes to wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jontre Kirklin on the sideline after the game. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow told a podcast that he, too, received money from Beckham.
The incident may be a violation of college football rules because players are not allowed to accept cash, according to NCAA bylaws.
LSU’s athletics department acknowledged the money was real.
“Initial information suggested bills that were exchanged were novelty bills. Information and footage reviewed since shows apparent cash may have also been given to LSU student-athletes,” officials from the department said in a statement.
“We were in contact with the NCAA and the SEC immediately upon learning of this situation in which some of our student-athletes may have been placed in a compromising position. We are working with our student-athletes, the NCAA and the SEC in order to rectify the situation,” the department said.
The NCAA had no comment about the cash, and Beckham could not be immediately reached.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.