Comedian Paul Rodriguez experienced a difficult Friday night after being arrested during a traffic stop on suspicion of drug possession.<\/p>\n
According to TMZ, the 70-year-old was driving in Burbank when he was pulled over for a traffic violation. The situation escalated after officers searched the vehicle and he was taken into custody on alleged narcotics possession charges.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez denied that the drugs belonged to him, claiming they were his friend\u2019s and accusing law enforcement of misconduct during the search. He also alleged that the encounter may have been racially motivated, according to the Daily Mail.<\/p>\n
Reports say Rodriguez was asleep in the passenger seat when the vehicle was stopped. He claimed an officer, described as \u201cCaucasian,\u201d slapped him to wake him up. He further stated that he was \u201croughed up\u201d and that his car was impounded. Although he insisted the drugs belonged to the friend who was driving and that she admitted ownership, he was still arrested.<\/p>\n
Authorities later confirmed that Rodriguez was cited and released on misdemeanor drug possession charges, with the case set to be reviewed by the city attorney. Officials did not respond to his claims.<\/p>\n
The incident comes during a challenging period for Rodriguez, following the recent death of his longtime friend Donald Serrato at his Los Angeles home, reportedly from natural causes. In addition, Rodriguez underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2021.<\/p>\n
With a career spanning more than four decades, Rodriguez has appeared in shows such as The Golden Girls<\/em>, Touched By An Angel<\/em>, and The Twilight Zone<\/em>, and has voiced characters in animated series including King of the Hill<\/em>, Dora the Explorer<\/em>, and The Proud Family<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"