Former NFL first-round draft pick Robert Nkemdiche was arrested in Georgia after police observed behavior they associated with possible shoplifting at a grocery store. The incident has renewed attention on his pattern of legal difficulties following his professional football career.

According to a police report cited by multiple outlets, officers were conducting a routine business check at a Kroger when they saw Nkemdiche leaving the store. One officer documented that Nkemdiche appeared to have multiple large, square and rectangular objects inside his sweatpants, which the officer considered consistent with concealed grocery items.

Police reported that the officer followed Nkemdiche as he walked toward a nearby gas station and requested backup. When additional officers arrived, they approached Nkemdiche and placed him in double-locked handcuffs. At the time of detention, the items initially observed in his clothing were no longer present.

Officers later stated that they located frozen groceries, candy bars and almond milk scattered in the parking lots of both the Kroger and the gas station. Based on the locations and timing, police inferred that these items were likely discarded as officers moved to detain him.

Authorities returned to the Kroger to determine whether the items had been stolen. A store representative reportedly informed officers that the business did not wish to pursue theft charges. However, the representative requested that Nkemdiche receive a criminal trespass warning, which legally bars him from the property.

The situation escalated when officers ran Nkemdiche’s name through their database. Police reported discovering several outstanding warrants in multiple states, including three in Georgia. On that basis, officers arrested him and booked him into jail on the active warrants rather than on new shoplifting-related charges.

Nkemdiche, a former Ole Miss defensive lineman once regarded as a highly talented prospect, has a documented history of legal issues. In 2015, he was arrested on drug possession charges after police said he fell from a fourth-floor hotel window and marijuana was found in the room.

Drafted in the first round by the Arizona Cardinals, Nkemdiche’s NFL career was limited by injuries, inconsistent performance and off-field problems. Police indicated that the groceries recovered in the latest incident were perishable and were discarded. The case adds to a series of legal and personal setbacks that have come to define his public profile more than his athletic achievements.