Story highlights
Raymond Felton arrested on initial charges of criminal possession of a weapon
Police: Felton illegally had firearm, loaded ammunition magazine
Arrest came hours after Knicks' loss to Mavericks at Madison Square Garden
New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton, who was arrested on felony weapons charges, posted $25,000 bail Tuesday.
Felton’s wife, Ariane, accompanied by her attorney, turned his high-powered FNH 5.7 x 28mm semi-automatic handgun over to police Monday, claiming she didn’t want the weapon in the couple’s Upper West Side Manhattan apartment, a law enforcement official said.
The weapon, similar to the one Maj. Nidal Hasan used in the Fort Hood shooting rampage in 2009, was loaded with 18 high-velocity bullets, the official said.
The Feltons are in the process of divorcing, the official said. Though Felton’s wife said he never threatened her with the gun, she told police that he held the gun during arguments in their apartment. She also told police that he owns other guns in North Carolina.
A judge Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order against Felton, who is to appear in court June 2.
Felton, accompanied by his attorney, left court without comment.
According to LinkedIn, Ariane Felton is a Cornell University graduate now studying law at Fordham University.
The point guard was arrested a couple of hours after the Knicks lost to the Dallas Mavericks at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks have not commented on the arrest.
Felton, 29, who was arrested at 12:50 a.m. Tuesday, had been held on charges of criminal possession of a weapon in the second, third and fourth degrees, New York Police Sgt. John Buthorn said.
Those counts relate to allegations that Felton illegally had a firearm and a loaded ammunition magazine, police said.
Felton played 33 minutes, scoring 8 points, in the Knicks’ 110-108 loss to the Mavericks on Monday night.
Felton returned to the Knicks in July 2012 as a replacement for popular point guard Jeremy Lin.
New York has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.
Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was sentenced to two years in prison after a plea deal on a firearm charge in 2009. Burress was shot in his thigh when his gun accidentally went off in a club.
CNN’s Brian Vitagliano and Allie Malloy contributed to this report.