An attorney for NBA journeyman Javaris Crittenton said he was not fleeing when he attempted to board a plane Monday night at John Wayne Airport.
Audio: Attorney Speaks With NBC4
Crittenton, who was suspended from the league for having guns in a locker room, is suspected in a deadly shooting in Atlanta. He was taken into custody at about 8 p.m. after checking in for a Delta Air Lines flight to Atlanta, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.
"He was not fleeing," attorney Eldridge Suggs told NBC4 Tuesday morning. "He came to LA to work out, to rehab. His second home is LA. He bought that ticket weeks prior to even knowing about the killing. He should not have his career destroyed."
Eimiller said he was arrested without incident by FBI agents with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Authorities were trying to determine whether Crittenton will make an initial appearance in federal court, or be taken directly to Atlanta to face state charges there.
"He offered to turn himself in,'' lawyer Brian Steel told The Associated Press earlier Monday. "He's not guilty. We look forward to getting it to the courts.''
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported that Crittenton planned to surrender in Atlanta. Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones said Tuesday the timetable for Crittenton's return depends on whether he waives extradition.
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Police earlier obtained a murder warrant for Crittenton in the Aug. 19 shooting of 22-year-old Jullian Jones, a mother of four young children, in Atlanta. He traveled on a one-way ticket to LA a few days after the shooting, according to authorities.
After playing at Georgia Tech, Crittenton was drafted by the Lakers, but traded during his rookie season to Memphis. He then signed with Washington before landing in Atlanta.
In Washington, he was involved in a lockerroom confrontation with teammate Gilbert Arenas. The two were given a year of probation on a misdemeanor gun possession charge.
