One of UCLA’s top backup quarterbacks has been suspended from the team indefinitely after he was arrested Friday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, KTLA confirmed Monday.
Details are limited and the exact circumstances around the Sept. 5 arrest are unknown, but Pierce Clarkson was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Southwest Division with bail set at $30,000, county jail records show.
He was released later the same night.
Clarkson was not seen on the field before the Bruins’ Saturday loss to UNLV at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
“We are aware of the charges against Pierce Clarkson,” a UCLA athletic department spokesperson said in a statement obtained by the Los Angeles Times. “He has been indefinitely suspended from all team activity pending the outcome of the legal process. This situation will be evaluated by the UCLA Office of Student Conduct and any further action taken will be in accordance with that evaluation and University policy.”
The son of well-known quarterback trainer Steven Clarkson, the 21-year-old spent two seasons at Louisville after a brief transfer to Ole Miss in January, ESPN reported. He joined the Bruins in May this year.
A spokesperson for the police department told The Times that the weapon used in the alleged assault was not a firearm. Clarkson is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 3.
