*Baltimore Ravens running back Bernard Pierce was hit with drunken driving charges early Wednesday morning after he was stopped for speeding in Baltimore County.
He was cut from the team hours later.
Baltimore County police said an officer stopped a Ford Mustang that was speeding around 2 a.m. ET Wednesday in Towson, north of Baltimore. He was going 55 mph in a 30 mph zone, and failed a series of field sobriety tests after he was stopped, according to police spokesman Cpl. John Wachter. Pierce was taken to a station house in Towson for processing, and later released.
Pierce is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol and two additional speeding offenses.
Five Ravens players were arrested last year, most notably running back Ray Rice for domestic violence, an offense that led to his suspension by the NFL and his release from the team.
Owner Steve Bisciotti acknowledged the off-field issues made 2014 his “worst year” since taking over the Ravens, and insisted the team would work to avoid grabbing the wrong kind of headlines this offseason.
“Things come in waves and we certainly took a crash here last year,” Bisciotti said last month. “There isn’t a lot you can do. We are a team and an organization that cares obviously about our reputation and when it takes a hit, then you examine what you do.
“But in order to take a hit to your reputation, you have to have a pretty good reputation to start with, and we did. Now it’s about proving it was an aberration, and we believe that to be the case.”
So far, little has changed.
Defensive tackle Terrence Cody was indicted in February for animal cruelty and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released by Baltimore as soon as the investigation began.
Also, security director Darren Sanders was charged in December with a sexual offense after he allegedly groped a stadium worker while she escorted him to his car after a game. He is now facing an additional assault charge stemming from the same alleged incident.
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