Facing three criminal charges in the wake of a violent arrest last month, kick returner Roy Finch has been placed on the retired list by the Calgary Stampeders and is “putting his football career on hold indefinitely.”
Finch has been charged with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and possession of marijuana stemming from an incident in Edmund, Oklahoma last month. Police dash cam video of his arrest showed several officers violently subduing Finch.
“I am focusing on my mental, physical and spiritual health along with accepting my role in the current legal proceedings,” said Finch in a release issued by the team. “I am grateful for the support of family and friends and look forward to returning to my Calgary family in July if granted the opportunity.”
The five-foot-seven, 165-pound Finch was the CFL’s top special-teams player last year. He appeared in 13 games with Calgary in 2017, registering career highs in rushing yards (114), receiving yards (133) and punt return yards (1,200) and added 696 kickoff return yards and returned three punts for touchdowns. He signed a two-year extension with the Stampeders in February.
“Roy has entered a program in Oklahoma to help him deal with personal matters and any pending legal processes will begin after that time,” said Stampeders president and general manager John Hufnagel. “We continue to wish Roy the best and hope to be able to provide more information in July.”
