SAN DIEGO -- Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips was cited for misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking a security guard in the face at a downtown hotel early Sunday morning.
It is Phillips' second run-in with the law in three seasons.
"It's disappointing to hear about the issue involving Shaun Phillips. We'll continue to monitor the situation and let the legal process run its course," general manager A.J. Smith said in a statement.
Neither Phillips nor his agent responded to phone calls, texts and e-mails.
San Diego Police spokeswoman Monica Munoz said Phillips was not arrested.
According to a police report, Phillips was cited by an officer at about 1 a.m. Sunday after a security guard at the Ivy Hotel reported that he had been struck in the face. The security guard was identified as Robert Van Cleave of Pacific Beach.
Ivy Hotel spokeswoman Jessica Cline declined comment.
Phillips was arrested in April 2006 for scuffling with a police officer in downtown but wasn't charged.
Phillips led the Chargers with 7.5 sacks last season after star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was lost to season-ending knee surgery after the opening game.
Phillips' citation is the latest run-in with the law by a Chargers player.
Wide receiver Vincent Jackson faces two charges of driving under the influence stemming for his arrest on Jan. 6, five days before the Chargers were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jackson was on probation from a 2006 DUI conviction.
Defensive tackle Jamal Williams pleaded guilty to two traffic violations last week as part of a plea deal stemming from his arrest Feb. 1.
Williams had been arrested on suspicion of DUI, but the San Diego City Attorney's office decided to charge him with misdemeanor reckless driving after his blood-alcohol level showed 0.07 percent, under the state limit of 0.08.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
