Washington Capitals defenseman Alexander Alexeyev was reportedly pepper-sprayed and arrested on Saturday. He faces a charge of public intoxication stemming from an alleged physical altercation outside a bar in the Clarendon area of Arlington, Virginia.
According to Arlington County Police Department spokesperson Kiyah Daniell, a witness alerted police officers after observing a fight involving two men take place around 3:26 a.m. outside Big Tony`s Pizza on the 3100 block of Clarendon Boulevard.
Upon the officers` arrival at the scene, Alexeyev reportedly assaulted the other individual involved in the dispute, which led police to deploy pepper spray on the Capitals player.
Daniell further elaborated that officers witnessed the ongoing physical altercation. As they approached, the suspect reportedly assaulted the other man again. An officer then used pepper spray during the process of taking Alexeyev into custody. Medics treated the suspect at the scene for the effects of the pepper spray.
Alexeyev was booked into the Arlington County jail early Saturday morning at 4:19 a.m. He has since been released from custody.
The 25-year-old defenseman was a first-round selection by Washington in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He made his debut in the NHL during the 2021 season and has appeared in a total of 80 games for the Capitals throughout his career.
In the recently concluded season, Alexeyev participated in eight regular-season games but did not record any points. However, he was in the lineup for all 10 of the Capitals` playoff contests. His current contract with the team is set to expire this summer, making him a restricted free agent.
