Clemens Denies Putting Officer in Chokehold

Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens denies that he put a chokehold on a police officer during a scuffle in a nightclub, his agent says.

Clemens, 28, was arrested with his brother Gary, 39, at the Bayou Mama’s nightclub on Houston’s west side early Saturday after the two allegedly became involved in a shouting match with other patrons.

Alan Hendricks, one of the two-time Cy Young Award winner’s agents, said he believed the matter would be cleared up soon.

Houston police spokesman Dan Turner said when off-duty Officer L. Oviedo, who was working as a club security guard, attempted to break up the fracas, the brothers allegedly began wrestling with him.

Turner said Gary Clemens allegedly shoved the officer, and when Oviedo tried to arrest him, Roger Clemens jumped on the officer’s back and started choking him.

Both men were arrested for aggravated assault on a police officer and released on $2,000 bond about 1 p.m. Saturday.

“There’s no question Roger’s denying that he was involved in any chokehold of an officer,” Hendricks said. “What I heard was when the officer was scuffling with Roger’s brother, Roger patted him on the back and tried to resolve it that way, to try to get the officer to resist this confrontation.

“It was all an unfortunate misunderstanding, and it will all be resolved quickly.”