UCLA Player Mac Etienne Arrested After Allegedly Spitting At Arizona Fans

TUCSON, Ariz (CBSLA) — UCLA redshirt freshman Mac Etienne was arrested after he allegedly spit on several University of Arizona fans on Thursday evening.

Etienne, a four star forward recruit, who is out for the remainder of the season due to an injury, could be seen spitting in the direction of some Wildcat fans as the Bruins left the court at the McKale Center in Tucson following his team's loss.

According to a report from ESPN, Etienne headed back to the locker room with the rest of his teammates, where he was told by University of Arizona Police Officers that he was being issued a citation and detained for "assault with 'the intent to injure, provoke or insult' another person." This information was detailed to ESPN by Sergeant Sean Shields, U of A's Public Information Officer.

He did disclose that Etienne was allowed to return to the locker room before he was arrested, and he was not placed in handcuffs. They also allowed Etienne to accompany his teammates as they traveled to Phoenix, for their matchup against Arizona State University on Friday.

His court date still remains to be set in the state of Arizona, but Shields said he may be able to address his citation without traveling between states.

UCLA's Athletic Department spokesperson Scott Markley issued a statement regarding the incident, which read, "UCLA Athletics is committed to and expects the highest level of sportsmanship. We are aware of the incident involving a student-athlete at tonight's men's basketball game, and the matter is under review."

An official report will be released by the U of A Police on Friday, where more information will be detailed, including the interactions between Etienne and the fans prior to the incident.

Etienne played in 13 games for the Bruins last season, where he averaged 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in an average of 11.3 minutes played.