ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Suspended Oakland Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith, who is hoping to be reinstated by the NFL this month, was detained by San Francisco police Thursday morning after a vehicle in which he was a passenger ran into a police cruiser, San Francisco Fox affiliate KTVU has reported.
Smith was released at about 2 p.m. PT and denied to reporters he was involved in a crash. When asked why he was at the police station, Smith told reporters there was "no reason" before continuing.
SFPD officer Giselle Talkoff told ESPN she could not confirm any names of those involved, but she said a 25-year-old woman was driving and was being investigated for sobriety; she also said one adult man was "detained" for public intoxication and "should be released when he is sober" and that a third passenger was "cooperative" and released at the scene.
"I had to go handle something and talk to somebody," Smith told reporters, including NBC Bay Area. "I was talking to a friend who was locked up in there. That's what I went to go do."
Talkoff said the case was under investigation to find out who was at fault.
The Raiders had no comment on Smith. Under the terms of Smith's league-mandated suspension, the team can't have any contact with him.
"If I did something, I would be in jail right now. Like, I didn't do anything," Smith said. "So we need to, if you guys want to talk about me, like, let's make these stories a little bit better and let's put me in a better spotlight. Stop making me seem like I'm some badass criminal, because that's not who I am; I'm a good person. I've never done anything."
The incident was Smith's second brush with the law in less than a month after he was mentioned in a report taken by SFPD the weekend of Feb. 11. TMZ Sports reported it was a domestic-related investigation and that no arrests were made. SFPD has not released any details since that story broke on Feb. 13.
Smith has been arrested five times since 2011, with three involving DUI.
"I've never hurt anybody and I'm not that type of person," Smith said. "So, let's start replacing these stories. That's your story, all right? Get out my face now, please."
In this latest incident, which occurred in front of the public safety building at 1245 Third St. at 8:30 a.m., an unmarked police vehicle with three officers was attempting to turn right into a parking lot, according to Talkoff. The other vehicle, traveling in the same direction, tried to pass on the right-hand side, resulting in the collision.
Two SFPD police officers were taken to San Francisco General Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, Talkoff said.
The NFL is expected to review Smith's case this month after he was suspended in November 2015 after several arrests and run-ins with the league's substance abuse policy.