Minor-league footballer jailed, given mental eval

A minor league football player was being evaluated by mental health professionals after authorities allege he forced his way into a secured area at an airport and later bit off the fingertip of an officer during a jail scuffle.

Michael Rayfield Hodges, 25, who has played for the Tri-Cities Fever of arenafootball2, was being held in the Franklin County jail, where he met with a state psychologist Monday.

His planned appearances in Franklin County Superior Court were canceled Monday, in part because of security concerns.

"In order to have a mental status exam, he couldn't be medicated," Prosecutor Steve Lowe said, adding that Hodges may have to be medicated to make a court appearance.

Hodges is charged with third-degree assault for hitting a federal security officer Nov. 3 as he allegedly forced his way into the secured boarding area of the Tri-Cities Airport.

Court documents also allege he bit off the fingertip of a corrections officer and repeatedly punched the face of another officer at the jail Friday as four corrections officers were taking him back to his cell after a visit with his father. Hodges has not been charged in the jail scuffle.

Hodges, who played parts of four seasons for the Fever, including eight games last season, has been in jail since his Nov. 3 arrest for the airport incident.

According to court documents, the 6-foot, 270-pound Hodges pushed his way past Transportation Security Administration screeners, hitting a female security officer in the process. He was shocked repeatedly with a stun gun, which had little effect.

Hodges ignored orders at gunpoint from a Franklin County sheriff's deputy, and broke a window with his hand and shoulder before going onto the tarmac just as Horizon Air flight 2103 was preparing to leave for Seattle, documents said.

He eventually surrendered.

Hodges was being held in isolation in the jail's medical area when his father came for a visit.

He became angry with his father during the visit, and became agitated when corrections officers were escorting him back to his cell. Court documents say he refused to go into his cell and pushed an officer. The officers used pepper spray and a stun gun on Hodges, but could not restrain him.

During the scuffle, Hodges allegedly bit off the end of Sgt. Arnold Boothe's left ring finger and shoved him against a door, where Boothe's head shattered a piece of glass, court documents said.

Hodges also punched Officer Lindy Noethe three times in the face with a fist and knocked her down, documents said, adding that it took seven officers to subdue him.

---

Information from: Tri-City Herald, http://www.tri-cityherald.com