Canseco Arrested for Possession of Handgun

The off-field trials of Jose Canseco continued Friday when the Oakland Athletics’ injured outfielder was arrested and charged with illegal possession of a nine-millimeter semiautomatic handgun on a college campus.

Canseco had his injured left wrist examined by a doctor at the UC San Francisco’s Laurel Heights campus when a passerby, walking through the parking lot, spotted Canseco’s bright red Jaguar, looked inside and noticed a gun lying on the floor on the driver’s side, according to police reports.

The passerby then notified campus police, who waited for Canseco to return from his examination and booked him for investigation of possession of a loaded firearm on university property, a felony.

Canseco was later released on $2,500 bail.

On the advice of his attorney, Canseco declined comment, but Athletic general manager Sandy Alderson told reporters he had discussed the matter with Canseco, who told him he was carrying the gun because of a recent threat made against him and his wife, Esther.

“In our conversation, Jose expressed some concern on his part over the safety of him and his wife following an incident that occurred a couple of weeks ago,” Alderson said.

Already this spring, Canseco has been charged with driving his car 120 m.p.h. in Florida, running a red light during spring training and committing three other traffic violations.

“We are not happy with these series of incidents, a series of possible violations of the law,” Alderson said. “We don’t like the kind of message it sends to our fans and to the Bay Area.

“My evaluation of Jose is that he is a very naive young man who doesn’t grasp the magnitude of the interest in him as an individual or the consequences of not abiding by the same rules that apply to you and me.

“I am embarrassed for the organization, but I’m not totally unsympathetic to Jose. He has to come to grips with his own notoriety.”

Canseco’s court appearance has been scheduled for April 27.