USC football: Everson Griffen won’t face felony charge

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The Times’ Andrew Blankstein reports that the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office declined to file felony charges against former USC defensive end Everson Griffen, who allegedly grabbed the crotch of a Los Angeles police officer during a traffic stop near campus.

‘Prosecutors said they would refer the case to the city attorney’s office for possible misdemeanor filing because Griffen, who now plays for the Minnesota Vikings, does not have a criminal record and because of the ‘absence of injury’ to the police officer,’ Blankstein wrote.

‘Prosecutors did not reference a 2009 case in Massachusetts in which Griffen was arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace.’

The incident took place about 4 p.m. Monday at 30th and Hoover streets. Prosecutors said Griffen had been stopped for ‘multiple traffic violations.’ The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department website showed that bail was $50,000 and that Griffen was released at 1:21 Tuesday morning.

Other highlights from Blankstein’s report:

‘Officers asked Griffen for his license, which turned out not to be valid, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

‘Griffen refused to comply with the commands of officers and refused to be handcuffed or go to jail, prosecutors wrote. At one point Griffen ‘turned and faced [an] officer in a threatening manner.’ The officer used a Taser on the decorated defensive lineman and told him to stop resisting.

‘As Griffen continued resisting, he was jolted a second time, according to the filing .... As the officer tried to restrain Griffen, he grabbed the officer’s crotch.

‘During the incident, LAPD sources said Griffen sprinted away from the officers, who eventually caught up with him.’

-- Gary Klein