Footballer charged in girlfriend's shooting

A professional football player was arrested and charged today with conspiracy in the drive-by shooting of his pregnant girlfriend last week.

A professional football player was arrested and charged today with conspiracy in the drive-by shooting of his pregnant girlfriend last week.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth, aged 25, was being held at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg jail without bond pending an arrangement on Friday, said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Captain Sean Mulhall.

Carruth was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, one count of conspiracy to shoot into occupied property and one count of conspiracy to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and inflicting serious injury.

Cherica Adams, aged 24, was shot four times on 16 November while driving in south Charlotte. She and her baby boy, who was delivered 10 weeks prematurely by emergency Caesarean section after the shooting, remained in critical condition at Carolinas Medical Center.

The conspiracy charge means police believe Carruth, who police say is the baby's father, acted with someone else.

Mulhall said Carruth, the Panthers' first-round draft choice in 1997, would not consent to an interview with investigators either before or after his arrest.

Police say Carruth was out with Adams the night before her shooting. After the shooting, police searched Carruth's home, impounded his white Ford Expedition and examined telephone records of calls between Carruth and Adams.

Carruth, who is in the third year of a four-year, $3.7 million contract, was excused from the team following the shooting. Club officials said today that, in accordance with NFL rules, he likely would be placed on a paid leave of absence.

The league's violent-crime policy limits almost all suspensions until a player is convicted of certain crimes.

Panthers coach George Seifert informed the players of the arrest at the end of the workout today.

"I'm certainly disappointed," Seifert said. "I think all of us all along were concerned about the young lady and the baby and certainly Rae being involved in this. We were hoping that it wouldn't come down to this."

In his rookie year, Carruth led all NFL rookie receivers with 44 receptions for 545 yards, but more recently his career has been troubled by foot and ankle problems.