Reyes slugged, tased, arrested at Tampa bar

TAMPA -- Tampa Police arrested Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Al Reyes early this morning, saying the reliever was drunk and disruptive when he fell down, picked a fight and spit blood at patrons of a popular Hyde Park night spot where Jessica Sierra was arrested last year.

Reyes is at Tropicana Field and expected to address the media shortly.

 

Rays spokesman Rick Vaughn said this morning: "We are looking into the situation as we are just learning of it.''

Thursday was Reyes' 38th birthday.

Witnesses told police the incident started around 2:30 a.m. at the Hyde Park Cafe, 1806 W Platt St., when Reyes fell against a ceramic pot inside the bar. Thinking someone had pushed him, police said Reyes began exchanging words with patron Eduardo Mora.

Mora then punched Reyes in the face, getting the attention of the Hyde Park Cafe's bouncers. Meanwhile, police said in a news release, Reyes "began to spit blood on the people in the area and began to swing his arms about."

The bouncers tried to control Reyes, but the 6-foot-1, 240-pound right-hander kept pushing them away. A Tampa Police officer working extra duty at the bar stepped in and yelled, "Stop Police!," but Reyes "continued spitting blood and thrashing about," according to a police incident report.

Moments later, the officer warned Reyes he was going to Taser the pitcher, and he did, knocking him to the bar floor. Ignoring police commands to stay down, authorities said Reyes got up and was Tasered a second time.

Reyes calmed down and was treated for a cut to his nose, police said. He refused to be transported to a hospital.

Reached at home Friday, Mora, 31, said he never hit Reyes. His friend did, Mora said. But he declined to name him. He said a woman at the bar witnessed the punch and can vouch for Mora's innocence. He also declined to provide her name but said he would provide his soon-to-be hired attorney with her information.

Mora's story goes like this: He was drinking at the bar with his friend, when his friend disappeared. All of a sudden, a woman near the bar turned to Mora and said, "Did you see what your friend did?"

Mora turned and saw Reyes holding his hand to his nose, which was gushing blood. Mora looked for his friend, but the man was gone. Reyes, who seemed to have been drinking heavily all night, began reaching out for people, Mora said.

"All of a sudden, he started touching everybody," Mora said. "He was lost. He just got hit. He was trying to find out who hit him."

Reyes got ahold of Mora, who was about three feet away, and bled all over his T-shirt. He didn't think Reyes was spitting blood, he said. It was just gushing out of him.

"That's when the bouncers got all over me, and they were really aggressive to me. I didn't do anything to anybody," he said. "Nobody saw anything. Everybody's just assuming things. I'm really upset."

Mora said he didn't see Reyes get Tasered because the bouncers had him on the floor.

Mora said if he had hit Reyes, he wouldn't have stuck around immediately afterward.

"I should have left after he got hit," he said, "but I didn't have anything to hide."

Mora, who said he works as a mortgage broker, has been arrested before on charges of DUI and domestic violence battery, according to state arrest records. He was charged with battery on Friday after the fight with Reyes.

Reyes was charged with affray. Both were released on their own recognizance.

Tampa police spokesman Jim Contento, a retired sergeant, said it's common for police to release suspects in these type of incidents without booking them in jail. He didn't expect police to press more charges, he said.

"They're very minor midsdemeanor charges," he said. "They have ties to the community and we know they're going to show up in court."

A Tampa police spokeswoman didn't know who Reyes was with at Hyde Park Cafe and Mora said he didn't recognize the pitcher or anyone with him. He didn't notice if Reyes was having a birthday party or not.

Police have been called more than 130 times to the Hyde Park Cafe in the last year, a place Contento called "busy" for police. Early Friday, police were summoned there three times, according to a log of police calls. Two seemed to be related to Reyes' arrest.

But the last call came at 3:55 p.m. -- hours afterward -- reporting a fight.

Hyde Park Cafe officials could not be reached Friday.

Casey Cora and Justin George, Times staff writers

Comments

[McCarroll21]

Rough birthday, my friend. Hope it was worth it. I guess it's a good thing Edwin was on top of everything yesterday afternoon and he didn't have to work on his birthday, too.

[Bob]

Release him. He's washed up anyway.

[Bhig Dong]

Still not better than Scott Spiezio...

[JB]

This is great. We are trying to give the Carpetbaggers from New York a new Stadium. Trying to get fans to the park, 2 of our Starting pitchers are on the DL and now this idiot goes out gets Drunk, and starts a fight and then resists the Police and gets TASED!!

Yes sir, the Rays are going to be special this year

JB

[Comedy of Errors]

LOL
That's the funniest story I've seen since David Boston got all drugged up and lost his way in Pinellas County!

[John Donson]

He doesn't have a drinking problem. He drinks, falls down, spits blood then gets tased! See! No problem! Hey Al! Youre supposed to close games - not bars. How old are you anyway? Start acting your age or we'll be forced to call you Elijiah.

[UF Student]

Don't Tase me Bro!

[Ron]

This kind of stuff makes you proud to be a Rays fan.

This also might explain his implosion in Baltimore during the opening series. Fell's Point is essentially a colonial Ybor City, but bigger. Wonder how hung over he was that day?

[Amanda]

Yes, Reyes was wrong for resisting arrest. But come on, guys. Are you really going to fault a guy for going out partying on his birthday? And as far as him "starting a fight" (JB), the article clearly states it was the other guy who punched him. Reyes was clearly in the wrong with his behavior in resisting, but give the guy a break. Some of you guys are blowing this out of proportion.

[The Unsilent Majority]

Amanda:
run along now ... seriously, let the men talk sports ... there's bound to be some dishes in the kitchen with your name on 'em

[CharlieRay]

Al is a stand up guy having trouble on and apparently off the field. He made a bad judgement call last night. Turning 38 as a professional baseball pitcher is not something to celebrate and unfortunately drank to much. He will pay the piper for it and we are slamming him. This is not what the Rays or Al needs. If he had a history of this thru out his career I would not be so forgiving. I say cut him some slack and let the due process do it's job

[brian]

I can't really fault the guy for going over-board on his birthday, we all do it. But it couldn't have come at a worse time for the Rays. Just when they get a nice win, more bad news gets added to the pile. At least Edwin has been awsome, that has been nice to see.

[AnUnknownSource]

I was there at the club last night when the event unfolded. The reason why Al fell down was because the other man moved back against his chair and push him. When Al recover, he question the man and ask what was wrong with him and why he pushed back, at which point the other guy just punched him. He was on the floor bleeding and grabbing his face and when he got up he was punching because he thought the people that were trying to hold him down where the ones still trying to fight him. That's when the police came in, about 15 Tampa Bay police officers sorrounded him at that point. One of the officer taser him at which point he begged them to stop. He put his hands up while on the floor to let them know he was calming down. Then that's when the night ended and people started to get kicked out of the club. There was blood all over the floor and on his shirt. The cut is on his nose.

[Sean]

15 police officers surrounded him? I have never been to this bar but I find that hard to believe for 1 person.

[Ron]

I wonder if he ever goes out boozing with his pitching coach, Jim Hickey?

[AnUnknownSource]

I didn't count them, but it was definately more than 8. There was about 5 police car outside the club. It was not just for one man, it was to try and keep the crowd away from the scene. Police here in Tampa don't play when it comes to club brawls, you can get arrested by simply pushing someone.

[Ray]

Great example for the kids on the club, eh? You'd think by age 38 he'd have done most of his sowing of his wild oats and been a bit more responsible.

[Juan]

UnknownSource...Based on your accent I'm guessing you wash dishes at HPC.

[Glen in Shore Acres]

Let's build a shrine (or a $500M stadium) to honor this drunk. Our kids need positive role models like this.

[Jones]

Quick don't build a stadium because of Al Reyes or having pitchers on the DL. Stu Sternberg created this mess. Al Reyes should be on house arrest...hell all the players should be under 24 hour supervision by Rays officials. And the two starters on the DL is probably some coy by Sternberg so he doesn't have to pay them. Cheapskate....

Really people listen to yourselves. As for you Glen in Shore Acres, Al Reyes will be in a retirement home by 2012 not pitching for the Rays

[Amanda]

To the "Unsilent Majority":

I seriously doubt anyone here has a problem with a chick who follows baseball. If the comment was supposed to be witty or funny, it failed. Try again.

[Bodog]

UnknownSource - Since you witnessed what occurred, will you be contacting Reyes' attorney. As a former SPPD Officer, I can assure you that whenever there is a brawl at a bar or club - the Police respond in numbers - LARGE NUMBERS.

[mike]

so he pitched against the O's tonight...
guess he's OK

[raysfan]

he got the win tonight even

[Lou Brown]

I just like how the Rays' spokesman is Rick Vaughn. It's good to see him stay in baseball after his success with the Indians.

[kathleen]

Disgusting-just like the Rays' owners attempt to grab more of the City of St. Petersburg's assets and then lying about it!

[T]

Sorry Brian,

I don't go overboard on my birthday, so we all don't. I can say I have never been so messed up I had to be tasered, nor even had the cops called on me. I would think most of society is in the same boat I am in-fairly upright citizens, not being in that kind of a situation (esp. at 38-he isn't in the frathouse you know)

[sos]

for all of you talking bad about my dad f*** u even though it was stupid...but thats my dad ..and if you guys didnt know talking bad about people is a sin..god forgive you guys and specially my dad hes a good man..he just got confused..u guys should go to church and listen pray every night tell god to forgive you cause theres chances the he would give you....READ THE BIBLLE!!so you guys could shout up and stop talking about my daddy about thiss way.... is the past you guys should now focus on the future...the already past so shout up!!please do a world a favor

[Brand Spanking]

New Waterfront Stadium is going to look fantastic.

Go Rays!

[rachett]

Everyone has a comment to make and no life to lead!
Get real people find something else better to do with time then hiding behind that screen.