Panthers Stop Paying Carruth; Another Arrest Is Made in Case

The Carolina Panthers cut off receiver Rae Carruth’s salary Thursday night, one day after authorities said he played a pivotal role in an alleged plot to try to kill his pregnant girlfriend.

The Panthers, who put Carruth on a paid personal leave after Cherica Adams was critically wounded in a drive-by shooting Nov. 16, said Thursday night they were changing his status to a leave of absence without pay.

“Rae obviously has a lot of concerns to address,” Coach George Seifert said. “We are not making a judgment on the case, but the situation makes it impossible for Rae to fulfill his contractual obligations.”

Also Thursday night, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police made a fourth arrest in the attack on Adams, who was shot four times from a passing vehicle as she drove through a Charlotte, N.C., neighborhood. Stanley D. Abraham Jr., 19, of Charlotte, was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, attempted murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle--the same charges Carruth and the other two defendants face. No bond for Abraham was immediately set.

Seifert said Panther owner Jerry Richardson made the decision to stop paying Carruth after consulting with team officials as well as NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Gene Upshaw, head of the players’ union. Seifert said Tagliabue and Upshaw supported Richardson’s decision.

Team officials also said that if Carruth is exonerated, he would get whatever money the team owes him.

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New York Jet tackles Jumbo Elliott and Jason Fabini could face time in jail after being indicted Thursday at Mineola, N.Y., for their roles in a July 10 bar fight.

Elliott, 34, was charged with one count of third degree assault and two counts of disorderly conduct. If convicted, Elliott faces up to one year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. Fabini, 25, was charged with one count of disorderly conduct and faces a maximum 15 days in jail and a maximum fine of $250.

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The Minnesota Vikings claimed kick returner Yo Murphy off waivers after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tried to slip their top return specialist onto their practice squad to sign emergency quarterback Scott Milanovich.

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New Orleans Saint linebacker William Whitehead was fined $5,000 by the NFL for disregarding their rule against making a throat-slash gesture while celebrating a sack of St. Louis Ram quarterback Kurt Warner last Sunday. . . . Green Bay defensive lineman Billy Lyon was fined $7,500 by the NFL for a late hit on San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Stenstrom during Monday night’s Packer victory.