Rodman Named in Another Stir

Former basketball star Dennis Rodman has gotten on the bad side of Newport Beach police again, this time for allegedly spraying a restaurant full of people with a fire extinguisher.

“It appeared that someone had said something that he didn’t like,” police Lt. Doug Fletcher said of Sunday’s incident at a Hooters restaurant.

Rodman entered the restaurant about 5:45 p.m. carrying a fire extinguisher, witnesses told police. He did not appear to be intoxicated, Fletcher said.

After he sprayed the room, police said, he got into a shoving match with a patron, then left.

Rodman had not been arrested by Tuesday, but the case was under investigation, and Fletcher said potential charges could include battery or tampering with a fire extinguisher in a public building.

Rodman’s Santa Monica sports manager, Steven Chasman, would not discuss the incident in detail. “My impression is that it was a misunderstanding, but I have no further comment,” Chasman said.

After the incident Rodman went to his boat, docked at a marina behind the restaurant, and officers spoke with him there.

“I don’t think you could really say he was cooperative. But he wasn’t uncooperative,” Fletcher said of the former NBA player, who is well known to police because of the disturbance complaints the parties at his oceanfront home have generated.

Police have visited Rodman’s home more than 70 times over noise complaints, and he has been fined more than $3,000 for noise ordinance violations.

Earlier this year the city toughened its noise ordinance partly because of him. He is scheduled to be arraigned today on noise violation charges stemming from his 40th birthday party May 12.