Polynice Free on Bail; Said to Wield Gun

Olden Polynice, former Clipper now playing for the Detroit Pistons, was suspected of assault with a deadly weapon Monday morning after his girlfriend told police he had pointed a loaded handgun at her outside her Woodland Hills home.

Polynice, 28, was arrested about an hour after the incident at his Brentwood home and released on $20,000 bail about 11 a.m., LAPD Sgt. Roger Ferguson said.

Yvette Avana, 26, told police that she and Polynice had an argument outside her house about 6 a.m. and that while she was standing outside the car, Polynice retrieved a loaded handgun from somewhere inside the car and pointed it at her, Ferguson said.

Police said Polynice denied pulling a gun, and officers did not find one, Ferguson added.

During his 16 months with the Clippers, Polynice became known for his community service work at the Nickerson Gardens housing project and local schools.

Last season, he fasted to protest conditions in his native Haiti under the military regime that overthrew a democratically-elected government. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 18.