MINNEAPOLIS -- Former Minnesota Vikings great Carl Eller was jailed Wednesday after allegedly fighting with police after being stopped for possible drunken driving.
Eller was held on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, fleeing police and assaulting a police officer.
Police Inspector Mike Martin said officers in north Minneapolis saw a SUV speed through a stop sign and gave chase. The SUV reached speeds of up to 60 mph through city streets.
Martin said the SUV didn't stop until it pulled into Eller's garage about 1 a.m. Wednesday.
Martin said the officers asked Eller to get out of the vehicle. He refused at first, but got out and threatened and fought with officers, throwing one onto the hood of the SUV.
Police used a Taser, but Martin said it had no effect and called for backup. During the scuffle, officers put the 66-year-old Eller into a neck hold until help arrived, he said.
When more officers arrived, they subdued Eller and took him to the Hennepin County Jail, Martin said. Eller refused to take a breath or blood test, he said.
Eller was a member of the famed "Purple People Eaters" in his 15 years as a defensive end with Minnesota from 1964-78. He played in six Pro Bowls and all four of the Vikings' trips to the Super Bowl. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
Martin said Eller did not request a lawyer when he was questioned and it was unclear if he had hired one.
One of the officers involved in the arrested was treated for a black eye and bruises.
In 2006, Eller was charged in the suburb of Golden Valley with driving under the influence. He later pleaded guilty.
Eller has acknowledged his history as a substance abuser. He became a treatment counselor and has spoken publicly to groups about the problems of chemical dependency.
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