File this under bizarre and unfortunate: 2004 Olympic champion Paul Hamm was arrested after apparently assaulting a Columbus, Ohio taxi cab driver after an altercation over a $23 fare late Saturday night. From the story, broken by a local Ohio news station:
According to the report, after an argument, Hamm damaged a window of the cab, punched and kicked the driver.
The driver called police and when they arrived, police said they struggled to get Hamm under control.
In video released by police, Hamm is heard talking with a police officer.
“All the sudden looking at my wallet and I'm looking at a situation, I don't have my ID,” Hamm said.
The officer then replied, “That's cause I have it man. You gave it to me less than 5 minutes ago.”
When the officer asked Hamm how many drinks he had consumed Hamm said he had “probably 8 drinks.”
It gets worse. Video footage of Hamm's arrest taken from the police car shows the obviously intoxicated 28-year-old getting taken down by police after arguing with them. At one point, Hamm pleads for them to let him go. At another, he threatens, "I'm gonna kill you guys." Finally, he slumps over in the back of the police cruiser, handcuffed.
The incident began when the cab driver woke Hamm up after delivering him to his destination. Hamm, who did not seem to be able to open the door of the cab, began trying to climb out the window. When the cabbie tried to help, Hamm swore at him and jammed his elbow into his face. The cabbie called the police, and Hamm can be heard swearing on the dispatcher's recording.
Hamm, who went to work at an investment firm in Chicago after attempting to make the 2008 Olympic team, announced his comeback plans last summer. He underwent surgery for a torn rotator cuff earlier this year, and showed up at the U.S. Championships in his capacity as a new assistant coach at Ohio State under new head coach Rustam Sharipov.
Although Hamm projected that he will not be able to compete until Winter Cup early next year, he said that he was pleased with the progress he's making on floor and pommel horse, the U.S.'s weakest event.
This looks very bad for Ohio State, which cleaned house at the beginning of last season. Among those who went was Hamm's former coach, Miles Avery. Hamm's deal at Ohio is not only for coaching, but also for education -- the school is paying for him to do an MBA, he said at the U.S. Championships.
Hamm is currently out of jail after posting bail. He will be arraigned for assault and two other misdemeanors on Sept. 15.
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