Vikings offensive lineman Oli Udoh took part in the team's first official post-bye week practice on Wednesday, when his attorney released a statement saying Udoh was innocent of the two misdemeanor charges stemming from his arrest Saturday in Miami.
Vikings' Oli Udoh practicing after pleading not guilty to misdemeanor charges from Miami arrest
The offensive lineman's attorney, Brian Bieber, released a statement calling the disorderly conduct and resisting an officer charges "completely false."
October 27, 2022 at 11:58AM
Udoh pleaded not guilty on Monday to misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence, after police arrested him at a Miami nightclub. A Miami-Dade County police report alleged Udoh tried to enter the female bathroom at the club after talking to a woman in line for the bathroom, and resisted security officers who tried to remove him from the club.
Udoh's attorney, Brian Bieber, said in a statement Udoh "should have never been arrested," adding the woman had "since reached out to us and has confirmed the allegations are completely false.
"Oli never followed a woman into the restroom and never prevented a woman from going anywhere — and I have personally verified that any allegation to the contrary is 100% false," Bieber said in a statement. "In fact, the woman approached Oli that night and they had a cordial conversation which ended in their exchanging phone numbers. She has since reached out to us and has confirmed the allegations are completely false. Oli committed no crime whatsoever under Florida law, and we look forward to a speedy resolution of this case — one in which he never should have been arrested."
In brief remarks in the Vikings' locker room on Wednesday, the fourth-year tackle said he was "pretty shook" by the arrest, adding he talked to coach Kevin O'Connell and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Sunday.
"It's unfortunate the team has to see this," Udoh said. "Once the truth comes out, I'll be all right."
O'Connell said Udoh "called me immediately" on Sunday morning. "He's been very honest and open, not only about the situation, but some disappointment for forcing us to get that phone call. I have a lot of confidence in Oli, the person, the teammate he is in this building, that things will positively play out for Oli."
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
