San Francisco 49ers

49ers Drop Tight End Bruce Miller After He Allegedly Punches 70-Year-Old Hotel Guest in San Francisco

San Francisco 49ers tight end Bruce Miller was arrested on assault and battery charges on Monday after police say he punched a 70-year-old hotel guest in Fisherman's Wharf, which later resulted in the organization cutting ties with the five-year veteran.

The 49ers tweeted Miller's departure at noon, just about 30 minutes after he was booked at the San Francisco County Jail.

San Francisco Police Officer Grace Gatapandan said a drunk Miller went to the Fisherman's Wharf Marriott on Columbus Avenue about 2:45 a.m. Monday and tried getting into a hotel room that wasn't his.

A 70-year-old man opened the door and told Miller he was in the wrong room, Gatapandan said. The elderly man's son, who was staying next door, also came out to tell Miller he was in the wrong place, which is when the 248-pound, 6-foot-2 player rushed at the 29-year-old son, police said.

The 70-year-old father came to his son's defense, Gatapandan said, and Miller punched him.

Both father and son were taken to the hospital, she said.

Miller was found across the street at a Travelodge, where front desk manager Dinesh Shrestha told NBC Bay Area he found the former fullback in jogging pants and a tank top, alone, vomiting and bleeding from the head outside the hotel in a stairwell. Miller was alone at the time and told Shrestha that "he was good." But Shrestha called 911 anyway.

Surveillance cameras at the Travelodge in San Francisco capture a disoriented Bruce Miller before his arrest on assault charges.

At the time, Shrestha didn't know that Miller was an NFL player.

"He was drunk, really drunk, and he was bleeding," Shrestha said. "I took him a paper towel, but he said, 'No, I don't need that.'"

Online records show Miller was arrested on charges including assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of making criminal threats and battery. His bail was set at $178,000 and, as of Monday afternoon around 2 p.m., the former 49er was allowed to leave the jail through the back exit.

Attempts to reach the 29-year-old Miller were not immediately successful. Gatapandan described Miller as "cooperative" in the investigation.

Marriott guests were left in disbelief.

"It's interesting a young man can't control his temper," Richard Pentz said. "You just don't go around hitting people, not in this day and age."

Nancy Goodie from Sacramento added that Miller's arrest comes at an inopportune time for the football organization, a franchise that has been plagued in the past by violent behavior commited by high-profile players including Aldon Smith and Ray McDonald.

"It is definitely another black eye for the 49ers, which they don't need right now," Goodie said.

In 2015, Miller was arrested after he pushed a woman to the ground and destroyed her cell phone outside Posh Bagel at the Rivermark Plaza, a Santa Clara police report indicates. He pleaded no contest in June of that year to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, the Mercury News reported. The plea resulted in a disturbing the peace conviction.

As part of the plea, Miller was ordered to undergo court-ordered counseling.

Since being drafted by San Francisco, Miller has spent five seasons with the organization primarily lining up as a blocking fullback and occasional receiving option. Miller has carried the ball just 28 times and crossed into the end zone once during that time, but he was slated to switch to the tight end position during the 2016 campaign. In the passing game, Miller has 76 career receptions to go along with three scores.

In being released from the team, Miller also loses out on much of his three-year, $5.4 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers, including a $1.7 million signing bonus and an average annual salary of $1.8 million, according an online tracking service, which now shows his status as inactive. A total of $3.2 million of that contract had been guaranteed.

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