Torii Hunter has encounter with cops

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LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Angels right fielder Torii Hunter had a frightening encounter with police at his Newport Coast home Wednesday afternoon, when two Newport Beach officers entered the house and escorted him upstairs -- with guns drawn -- so he could show them identification.

The incident began when Hunter accidentally triggered his home's alarm upon entering. A dispatcher called his wife's cell phone, but she was in Texas and didn't answer the call.

“

After a while, the guy told me, 'I'm a big Angels fan. I watch you all the time.' I'm like, 'Come on, man.'

” --Angels RF Torii Hunter
on incident with police at home Wednesday

Hunter said he was lying on the couch watching TV when he saw two officers in his backyard approaching the back door.

"I saw the cops and turned around and they had their guns out, saying, 'Show me your hands!' " Hunter said. "I'm like, 'All right, I'm cool.' I had a pistol upstairs. I'm a licensed gun owner. I'm glad I didn't get it because I could have been shot. What would have happened if I went out there?"

Hunter said the officers instructed him to sit down and began asking him questions. He said he told them his ID was upstairs, so they walked behind him up the stairs with their guns drawn.

"After a while, the guy told me, 'I'm a big Angels fan. I watch you all the time,' " Hunter said. "I'm like, 'Come on, man.' "

Hunter said he was alone in the home at the time.

Newport Beach police spokeswoman Kathy Lowe confirmed that officers responded to an alarm call at Hunter's residence.

"Responding officers contacted the resident and confirmed that the alarm was unfounded," Lowe said in an email. "I have no further details at this time."

Hunter tweeted about the incident Wednesday afternoon just as the Angels were concluding their exhibition season with an 8-3 win over the Dodgers.

"I'm not upset that the cops did their job today. I'm actually glad they were protecting home," Hunter wrote.

The former Twins outfielder later added, "The cops that were here today had there guns drawn but pointed downward in for safety. Those guys handled the situation like trained cops."

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Mark Saxon

ESPNLosAngeles.com

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Mark Saxon is a staff writer for ESPNLosAngeles.com. He spent six years at the Orange County Register, and began his career at the Oakland Tribune, where he started an 11-year journey covering Major League Baseball. He has also covered colleges, including USC football and UCLA basketball.