On Jan. 8, former University of Oregon Ducks football player Ryan Tristan Chance Taylor, also known as Ryan Pellum, was arrested and charged with being a “fugitive from justice,” after he was accused of assaulting a victim in California, according to court documents.
According to the documents, Taylor was found at his residence in Eugene’s neighboring city, Springfield, where he was arrested and placed in custody weeks after a warrant was issued for his arrest in Los Angeles County, California.
On Dec. 25, 2024, Taylor allegedly assaulted someone with a firearm, which left the victim with a laceration to the head in Long Beach, California.
“Taylor was armed with a 9mm pistol, which he used to pistol whip the victim before firing two rounds from his gun in an unknown direction,” court records noted.
According to the same records, a nationwide “extraditable warrant” was then issued for Taylor’s accused criminal charges. An extraditable warrant allows law enforcement to arrest someone in another state and bring them back to the state that issued the warrant.
Taylor is currently not located in the Lane County Jail after his $17,500 bail was posted on Jan. 9, and is due back in court on Jan. 23 at the Lane County Circuit Court.
Taylor entered the NCAA transfer portal on Jan. 6, two days before his arrest.
According to UO spokesperson Angela Seydel, UO does not have a comment regarding Taylor and confirmed that Taylor is no longer a member of the Ducks football team or a UO student.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Taylor was charged with assault with a deadly firearm. This is not the case. Taylor was charged for assault with a deadly weapon.
