Tampa Bay Bucccaneers’ Da’Quan Bowers Arrested for Carrying a Gun in Aiport

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da’Quan Bowers was arrested on Monday in New York for carrying a gun at LaGuardia Airport according to The Pewter Plank and Channel 4 in New York. A loaded .40 caliber pistol was found in Bowers bag at the airport and he was promptly questioned and arrested for the offense. Bowers was charged with second degree possession of a weapon and is expected to appear in court this evening.

As The Pewter Plank points out, a second degree criminal possession of a firearm is a class C felony in New York which is the same charge Plaxico Burress was charged with for accidentally shooting himself a few years ago.

"Second degree criminal possession of a firearm is a class C felony in New York. For reference, this is the exact same charge that Plaxico Burress faced following his accidental self-injury with a firearm several years ago. Burress spent two years in prison after pleading guilty to the charges, and receiving a plea bargain. This is a very serious, very difficult situation for Bowers, as the state of New York is very tight about gun laws. The fact that it took place in an airport compounds matters, and the case will surely find its way to a grand jury, much like Burress’ case did.– The Pewter Plank"

The Buccaneers have showed little tolerance for players who live outside the rules set by head coach Greg Schiano and his regime. Eric Wright was given a fat contract this past offseason and his mediocre play in combination with his off field issues has the Bucs preparing to release him as soon as they’re allowed to. Brian Price and Amobi Okoye were let go for physical and character issues and Aqib Talib was traded for a fourth round pick after years of abusing the Buccaneers trust.

Bowers was starting to come into his own on the Bucs defensive line and the team had high hopes that he could develop into a top-flight edge rusher in the NFL. Injury concerns dropped Bowers draft stock a few years ago from a top pick to a mid-second round pick. The Bucs knew they were taking a gamble on his health when they drafted him but they never imagined they’d find themselves in yet another character conundrum with another young star.

If he’s convicted, the minimum sentence in New York is 3.5 years in prison, so the situation involving Bowers is very serious and the NFL will be monitoring it closely. The law very distinctly states that not knowing the law is not an excuse and firearms at an airport are not tolerated and never excused. Unless Bowers has a seriously talented legal team, he’s likely going to prison.