Report: Jayron Kearse arrested on suspicion of DUI and carrying a firearm without a permit

Minnesota Vikings defensive back Jayron Kearse is in a bit of trouble with the law, it appears:

Kearse, who has been used sparingly in recent games, is now dealing with a whole new set of issues. If convicted, a first DUI conviction in Minnesota is a misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Carrying a firearm without a permit is considered a gross misdemeanor, and the maximum penalty for that is one year in jail. He is currently being held without bail on the weapons charge.

Regardless of how this plays out in the courts, Kearse could still be suspended by the NFL’s personal conduct policy, as well.

A short while ago, the Vikings issued a statement:

Although off the field news like this was a fairly common theme for this franchise in past years, things like this under the Wilf ownership, and particularly since Mike Zimmer was named head coach, have become rare.

As more information becomes available, we’ll pass it along.

UPDATE: Seth Kaplan provides context for what happened from the police report: