Former high school basketball star Emoni Bates arrested after gun found in car he was driving

Emoni Bates, a former high school star who transferred from Memphis to Eastern Michigan this summer, was arrested Sunday night about two miles from campus in Superior Township, Michigan, after sheriff’s deputies discovered a firearm in a vehicle he was driving.

Derrick Jackson, the public information officer for the Superior Township, Washtenaw County sheriff’s office, told ESPN that officers “initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle which failed to stop” at an intersection.

Bates was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and “altering ID marks” on a firearm. He was arraigned Monday, and his attorney, Steve Haney, asked that a plea of not guilty be entered on Bates’ behalf.

According to Haney, the judge agreed to a nonmonetary personal recognizance bond for Bates to be immediately released from jail. Bates’ next court date is scheduled for Oct. 6.

Haney told ESPN that the arrest Sunday night came after a routine traffic stop when Bates was driving a borrowed car that had a gun in it. “Reserve judgment on this,” Haney said via a statement. “There’s way more to the story. He borrowed someone’s car, was pulled over and a gun was located in the car.”

Per the Michigan penal code, a person charged with carrying a concealed weapon can face imprisonment “for not more than 5 years” and a fine up to $2,500. The charge of altering an ID on a weapon carries a penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine up to $1,000.

Eastern Michigan issued a statement Monday afternoon that announced Bates would be suspended.

“We are aware of a situation involving men’s basketball student-athlete Emoni Bates,” the school said. “Eastern Michigan University takes all allegations of this nature very seriously. Per department policy, he has been suspended automatically from practice and playing privileges until the legal process is resolved….