Police in Prince William County, Virginia recently arrested a man named Rodney Darnell Whitehead, Jr. The only problem is that it wasn’t the Rodney Darnell Whitehead, Jr. who used to play for the Dallas Cowboys.
In a lengthy statement, the authorities have admitted that Lucky Whitehead’s identity was “falsely provided” after an arrest for petit larceny. Amazingly, the man didn’t have a fake ID (or any ID at all); however, the man “verbally provide[d] identifying information to officers, which included a name, date of birth, and social security number matching that of Rodney Darnell Whitehead, Jr.”
To be sure, police compared the man to the photo on file with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. And they concluded that it was a match.
“Officers acted in good faith that, at the time, the man in custody was the same man matching the information provided,” the statement reads.
It’s impossible for any of us to compare the photo of the man to a photo of Lucky Whitehead because, apparently, no mug shot was taken. Which could make it even harder for the authorities to catch the real criminal.
As to Whitehead, the case still isn’t officially closed. “[T]he police department is working with the Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office to clear Mr. Whitehead from this investigation,” the statement explains.
Hopefully, it’ll become official ASAP.