Metro Police issued a bulletin for officers to be on the lookout for Titans quarterback Vince Young on Monday night after Coach Jeff Fisher expressed concern about his emotional well being.
According to Metro Police spokesman Don Aaron, Fisher had been alerted after a friend of Young’s contacted the coach around 7 p.m. Monday night. Young eventually made contact with Fisher, and the two met around midnight with Metro police officials at Baptist Sports Park.
“Given the totality of the situation, Coach Fisher was concerned about Young’s emotional well-being. He contacted the police department and expressed to us his concern,’’ Aaron said.
“Once he came to Baptist Sports Park and was assessed, it appeared the concerns from earlier in the night were unfounded.’’
According to police, Young left his home abruptly Monday night and sped off without his cell phone. A person at Young’s home contacted Fisher, who then contacted police.
After Young eventually made contact with Fisher several hours later, he was told he needed to meet with police.
Young had a handgun in the glove compartment of his vehicle, but it was not loaded and Aaron said officers had no concerns about Young trying to harm himself.
“The fact the gun was in the glove compartment and was unloaded did not present an issue for the officers,’’ Aaron said. “There was no ammunition in the car. The gun was unloaded. The slide was back in a safe position, and it was in the glove box.’’
Fisher could not immediately be reached for comment. On Tuesday, the team issued a statement:
“Last night, we received a call from people that are closest to Vince informing us that he had left his house in a state of mind that had them concerned; and that he was unreachable, having left his cell phone at the house. Not having all the facts available to us and approaching the matter prudently, we contacted Metro Police to make them aware of the situation and asked for their assistance in locating Vince. He was located at a friend’s house, where we made contact with him. He then came to the practice facility where it was determined that those initial concerns by his friends and family were unfounded and he returned home without incident.”
Young suffered a left knee injury in the team’s 17-10 win over the Jaguars on Sunday. He was scheduled to undergo an MRI on the knee on Monday, but the MRI had to be rescheduled.
Young has proven to be an emotional player since being drafted by the Titans in the 2006 NFL Draft. Police took Monday’s episode seriously, Aaron said. After meeting with Fisher and police, Young was given permission to go home on his own.
“In a major city police department we have calls like this all the time about people who fear for their loved ones and want the police department to find them and check on their welfare, the difference here being Vince Young’s notoriety,’’ Aaron said.
“When the police department gets such calls you have to take them seriously. Every person is different and you never know how these issues will ultimately turn out. The concerns of last night appear to be unfounded.’’
