MIAMI – Miami Dolphins linebacker Rey Maualuga was arrested early Saturday, accused of grabbing a man by the throat and shoving him while refusing to pay a $40 bar tab.
Maualuga, 30, was arrested after the incident at E11ven Miami and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a battery charge.
According to an arrest report, the victim confronted Maualuga about a $40 tab that he still owed, but Maualuga "became upset and refused to pay." When the victim continued to ask Maualuga to pay, Maualuga grabbed him by the throat and shoved him.
Maualuga was then escorted out of the nightclub and arrested.
The Dolphins waived Maualuga hours after the arrest and promoted running back De'Veon Smith from the practice squad. The team plays against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Maualuga, who was signed Aug. 19, played in six games with four starts. He recorded 23 tackles, 14 solo, in his lone season with the team. The second-round draft pick spent his first eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Smith, who signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted college free agent May 5, totaled 12 carries for 35 yards with a 2.9 average in the preseason. He was a four-year letterman and two-year starter at Michigan, where he totaled 495 carries for 2,235 yards and 22 touchdowns.