http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2419713
LOS ANGELES -- NFL defensive back Ricky Manning Jr. was arrested on suspicion of assault Sunday after a fight at a restaurant near the UCLA campus.
Manning, a 25-year-old restricted free agent who signed an offer sheet with the Chicago Bears on Friday after three seasons with Carolina, was arrested at about 3 a.m. after he allegedly hit a man in the face along with four or five companions at a Denny's restaurant in the Westwood section of Los Angeles, said officer Mike Lopez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department.
According to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times, Los Angeles Police Department detective Robert Lewis said a group of people -- including Manning -- attacked a man in a Denny's restaurant after teasing him for working on a laptop computer.
"The group began by making comments that the victim looked like a geek or a nerd," Lewis said, according to the Sun-Times.
The newspaper quoted Lewis saying the victim complained to a Denny's manager. He was then punched in the face, then punched and kicked by multiple attackers until losing consciousness.
Manning, a former UCLA star, and his companions left the restaurant in an SUV and were pulled over by police soon after when the vehicle was spotted by a helicopter, Lopez said.
Police said Manning was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon despite not being armed because he was aided by companions, and because great bodily force was used.
Manning was released after posting $30,000 bail.
Manning's deal with the Bears is worth up to $21 million over five years, according to his agent. The Panthers have until April 28 to match the Bears' offer.
Information from The Associated Press is included in this report
