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San Diego Chargers linebacker shot by off-duty policeman

San Diego Chargers linebacker Steve Foley was shot by an off-duty policeman in front of his suburban home on Sunday. Coach Marty Schottenheimer said the wounds were not life-threatening.

"All we're worried about is that he's okay," Schottenheimer said.

The early morning shooting occurred after the officer reported seeing a suspected drunken driver weaving in and out of traffic on an area highway and attempted to pull him over, police Lieutenant Dennis Brugos said.

"My understanding is he was shot three times in front of his house by an off-duty officer and that he's in surgery," said Foley's agent, David Levine.

Paramedics were called to the suburban San Diego neighborhood at 3:47am and transferred a trauma victim to Sharp Memorial Hospital, according to a fire department dispatcher.

Hospital spokeswoman Kathy Gambito said she did not have any information on a patient named Steve Foley.

"We have confirmed that linebacker Steve Foley was shot early this morning," team spokesman Bill Johnston said in a statement. "We'll try to provide more information as it becomes available. Right now all of our thoughts are with Steve."

The shooting came eight days before the Chargers are scheduled to open the NFL season against the Oakland Raiders, and was the second time in four months that Foley has been involved in an incident with police.

Foley was arrested on April 21 on charges of resisting arrest after police said he scuffled with officers. Foley also was booked on charges of battery on a police officer and public drunkenness.

The district attorney's office said recently it was not pursuing charges against Foley in that incident.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an emergency appendectomy after becoming ill before practice on Sunday and will miss Thursday's NFL season opener against Miami.

Coach Bill Cowher said Roethlisberger will be evaluated each week, and he was not certain how long the quarterback will be out.

Charlie Batch, the former Detroit Lions starter who was 2-0 as a fill-in last season when Roethlisberger hurt his knee, will start against the Dolphins.
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