A former wide receiver for Oregon football who just entered the transfer portal this week has been arrested for an alleged pistol-whipping incident.
Ryan Pellum, known by the full name Ryan Tristan Chance Taylor, was arrested in Springfield on Wednesday on charges of assault with use of a firearm after allegedly pistol-whipping a person in Long Beach, California, on Christmas Day.
Pellum is originally from Long Beach and spent one season playing football for the Ducks, utilizing a redshirt. He is the nephew of former Oregon linebacker and defensive coordinator Don Pellum, and chose to sign with the Ducks under that last name in 2023 instead of his given name of Taylor.
A university athletics spokesperson declined to comment on Pellum’s arrest, citing that he is no longer a member of the Oregon football program.
An extradition warrant was issued by police in Long Beach on Tuesday, and Pellum was arrested at his apartment on Gateway Street in Springfield the next day. Bail has been posted by an unknown person, according to court documents obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive, and he is due in court in California on Jan. 23.
According to court documents, Pellum is accused of assaulting a person by hitting them over the head with a 9 mm pistol, causing a head injury that needed stitches. Pellum then allegedly fired two rounds from the gun in an unknown direction. The alleged victim’s name and relation to Pellum was not disclosed.
During his arrest, Pellum allegedly told police he knew about the California warrant because people were calling him about it, but did not elaborate further.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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— Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.