Boxing champ Terence Crawford ticketed in body shop dispute

By ERIC OLSON

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police ticketed WBO junior welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford on Friday on four misdemeanor charges following a disturbance at a body shop last week.

Crawford turned himself in shortly after 6:30 a.m. He was released a short time later after being cited on charges of theft of services, criminal mischief, third-degree assault and trespassing.

“We had it arranged for him to go to the police station and get a ticket,” Crawford attorney Steve Lefler said. “He went from the police station to get his morning workout in, and in three or four months we’ll have a trial.”

According to a police report, Crawford showed up at Extreme Custom Fleet and Auto Spa on April 14 and demanded his 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Owner Michael Nelson told Crawford that the car, which was on the lift, wouldn’t be returned until Crawford paid the $1,350 he owed for a paint job.

Nelson told police that as he was helping another customer, he heard noise coming from an employee-only area of the shop. Nelson found Crawford lowering the Monte Carlo and three people with him moving auto parts on the floor to clear a path for the car.

Nelson told police that when he approached, Crawford pushed him and said, “When you have money, you can do what you want.” When the car was lowered, Crawford and the people with him tied a rope to the car and took it away, according to police.

Police said the lift was stuck in the “on” position and was so hot it melted the hydraulic reservoir and burned out the pump. Damage was estimated at $5,000.

Lefler said the case is more a civil matter than criminal. He said Nelson’s account of the events is not accurate.

“There’ll be five or six versions of what happened when Terence was there,” Lefler said. “From witnesses I talked to, there is a drastically different version than what the police report says.”

According to Douglas County Court records, Nelson requested a protection order against Crawford on Thursday.

A phone message was left for Nelson.