MIAMI (AP) – Shaquille O’Neal put his police skills to use early Sunday.

O’Neal, the Miami Heat’s All-Star center and a reserve officer with the Miami Beach Police Department, followed a driver who allegedly crashed into his Cadillac Escalade and tried to flee the scene, the team said.

O’Neal and bodyguard Jerome Crawford followed the driver for about five minutes. When the driver, identified by The Miami Herald as 18-year-old Emmnueo Cibrin of Tampa, stopped near a gas station, O’Neal approached the car and summoned a nearby police officer.

Police did not release an incident report Sunday night. Miami-Dade Corrections officials said they had no record of anyone by Cibrin’s name being booked on a criminal charge, and it was unclear if he was ticketed for any moving violations.

O’Neal, through the team, said Sunday night that he followed proper police protocol during the chase, including pursuing at a safe distance and speed.

O’Neal was sworn in as a reserve officer in 2005. He has long said he intends to pursue a career in law enforcement after basketball.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.