Rams’ Ethan Westbrooks pleads no contest to misdemeanor gun charge, receives probation

Rams defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks last week pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of carrying a loaded firearm and was sentenced to one day in jail and three years of probation, according to Kern County court records.

Westbrooks, 27, was given credit for time served.

Westbrooks was arrested in September after a gun was found in the car he was driving near Bakersfield. He was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property, carrying a loaded firearm, carrying a stolen loaded firearm, grand theft of a firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine.

But Westbrooks was charged with only one misdemeanor count. In November, an attorney entered a plea of not guilty on Westbrook’s behalf and a pretrial hearing was set for last Friday.

Throughout the process, the Rams had said they were supporting Westbrooks.

“Sometimes there are things that we can control, and sometimes you get caught up in bad situations,” Rams coach Sean McVay said in September. “As we continue to gather more information on that based on what we’ve talked about with Ethan in house, we are supporting him.

“But until we get everything finalized in terms of exactly what the ruling is, what exactly went down — I trust Ethan.”

Westbrooks, a four-year veteran, started nine games last season and recorded four sacks.

He is part of a defensive front that now includes Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Ndamukong Suh, Matt Longacre and Dominique Easley among others.

The Rams begin voluntary offseason workouts April 16.