One of the final chapters in an incident that saw Bengals defensive end Sam Montgomery cited for speeding and a South Carolina state trooper garnering a suspension has been closed, as Montgomery’s ticket was reportedly dropped on Wednesday.
According to the Greenwood (S.C.) Index-Journal and The Associated Press, Montgomery’s ticket was tossed when Lance Cpl. R.S. Salter did not appear for a hearing on Montgomery’s ticket on Wednesday. According to the Index-Journal, Salter is unable to appear in court for traffic offenses because of his suspension.
Salter was suspended after ticketing Montgomery for allegedly going 89 mph in a 55 mph zone on June 25. Video of Montgomery’s arrest showed Salter indicating he would use a Taser on Montgomery if needed. According to the AP, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety said that the trooper’s “behavior during the traffic stop of Mr. Montgomery was not representative of professionalism displayed by our troopers and officers every day around the state.”
Montgomery was briefly detained after being ticketed, though the Laurens County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Office indicated to PFT that a speeding ticket of more than 25 mph usually involves a booking.
The 24-year-old Montgomery joined the Bengals in the offseason. A second-year pro from LSU, Montgomery previously played for the Texans and Raiders. He was a third-round pick of Houston in 2013.