PITTSBURGH -- Steelers kicker Jeff Reed didn't threaten to fight with police outside a Pittsburgh bar on Sunday, his agent said. Meanwhile, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he still expects Reed to play in this Sunday's home game against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.
Atlanta-based agent Don Henderson told Pittsburgh media outlets Monday that Reed didn't raise his fists in front of police outside a bar Sunday and that officers were to blame for the incident. The bar is a couple of blocks from Heinz Field, where Reed kicked two field goals in the Steelers' 27-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns a few hours earlier.
Police Lt. Michael Piasecki said Reed, who was leaving the bar with his parents, argued with officers who arrived to cite the kicker's teammate, backup tight end Matt Spaeth, for disorderly conduct for allegedly urinating in a parking lot.
"Mr. Reed took a fighting stance, balled up his fists, and the officers then took him into custody," Piasecki said.
Reed was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and simple assault -- a misdemeanor that is the most serious charge he faces, Piasecki said.
"When he squares off against a police officer, that's considered an assault by statute," Piasecki said.
Reed was handcuffed, then released to the custody of his parents. A court summons will be mailed to him, Piasecki said.
Henderson told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Reed never threatened to fight police.
"You think he's put his hands up to fight a police officer? You've got to be kidding me," Henderson said. "That's ridiculous. Jeff Reed wouldn't fight anybody, so we disagree with the police."
Henderson told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "It involved somebody else on the team, he got out to try to help and basically got attacked by the police."
Reached Tuesday by The Associated Press, Henderson refused to elaborate on his comments.
"We're just going to stay out of it right now," Henderson told the AP. "We'll get the information in the mail and we'll take care of it."
The AP couldn't immediately locate Spaeth's agent for comment Tuesday.
Tomlin said Tuesday that the Steelers and NFL are investigating the Reed incident.
Last season, Tomlin benched wide receiver Santonio Holmes the game after he was charged with possessing cigars filled with marijuana. Tomlin said he held Holmes out of that game, a 21-14 loss to the New York Giants last Oct. 26, to avoid causing a distraction, not to punish Holmes. Tomlin noted that Holmes was charged on the Thursday before that game, whereas Reed was charged a full week before the next game.
The misdemeanor possession charges against Holmes were later dropped.
This is Reed's second brush with the law this year. He paid $543 in fines and restitution after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct and criminal mischief for damaging a paper towel dispenser in a convenience store bathroom in New Alexandria in February.
