San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested early Sunday morning after girlfriend Tila Tequila – real name Tila Nguyen -Â accused him of choking her.
Bisexual reality TV personality Tila Tequila, star of A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, called 911 around 3:45 a.m. on Sunday claiming she was being choked and held against her will by boyfriend Shawne Merriman at his home in San Diego. Merriman was arrested at the scene after Tila Tequila signed a citizen’s arrest warrant against him. Tequila was then taken to a local hospital for treatment, although unofficial reports from the scene indicate she did not appear to be injured.
Shawne Merriman was arrested on charges of battery and false imprisonment, according to the San Diego County Sherrif’s Department. He was released on bail late Sunday morning. Merriman’s lawyer has issued a statement denying all charges against his client and claims Tila Tequila was “extremely inebriated” at the time of the incident. The NFL star alleges he was only attempting to keep Tequila from driving because she was too drunk to be behind the wheel.
Shawne Merriman and Tila Tequila were reportedly spotted Saturday evening at a nightclub in San Diego, where they appeared to be engaged in a great deal of racy public displays of affection.
Tila Tequila appeared in two seasons of the MTV reality dating show A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, which featured both men and women vying for her interest. She has also modelled for Maxim, Playboy and Penthouse and hosted Fuse TV’s Pants-Off Dance-Off. The Tila Tequilla MySpace page currently hosts the dubious honor of the most popular artist page on the network.