Dynamo GK Deric accused of assault
Two Dynamo soccer players were arrested following an altercation with police at a Houston bar, the Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday.
Dynamo backup goalkeeper Tyler Deric was charged with assaulting a public servant and second-round pick Warren Creavalle was accused of interfering with public duties in the incident Saturday night.
Both players were released Sunday, with Deric posting $5,000 bail, while Creavalle's $500 bail was posted by their teammate Alex Dixon.
The three men and another Dynamo player, Will Bruin, were outside the Roosevelt Lounge Saturday night when Deric took offense to a number of his teammates being refused entry to the bar, his lawyer Allen Tanner said.
He is accused of then assaulting off-duty police officer Ramon Perez, who was in uniform while on an approved extra job.
"This whole incident revolves around the fact that Mr. Deric was with other soccer players, some who were African-Americans," said Tanner.
"The club did not want them coming in ... He's not guilty of assaulting that off-duty officer."
Tanner said he would present a number of witness statements to backup his claim that Deric did not assault the officer.
Dixon and Bruin were not arrested.
"The Houston Dynamo organization is aware of the recent matter involving Tyler Deric," the team said in a statement.
"We take these issues extremely seriously. This is an ongoing legal matter, so we will reserve further comment at this time. We will continue to monitor the developments closely."
The 23-year-old Deric, who overcame alcohol problems to get a contract with the Major League Soccer club in 2009, made two appearances in 2010 but none last season.