A footballer has been arrested for snatching a police officer’s gun.
Ezequiel Cirigliano, 34, is accused of wrestling the weapon away from the female cop in the street.
The former River Plate star then ran off with it.
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Police later found him at his home.
The clash happened in the town of Villa Pineral in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on Thursday (24 Sep).
Local reports said he was on his way home from work when he suddenly lost control.
He went up to a Local Prevention Police Unit post and fought the policewoman.
The authorities said he pulled her service pistol from her during the struggle and fled.
Officers from the 4th precinct recovered the weapon and arrested him at his house.
He is being held for robbery and attacking an officer.
A police report said he had a serious drug problem, which was written into the file after the arrest.
Cirigliano came through River’s academy and played 61 first-team games.
He helped the club win promotion from the second tier and once wore the captain’s armband as a young midfielder.
Loan spells followed at Hellas Verona in Italy and FC Dallas in the United States.
He also turned out for Tigre, Atlético Tucumán, and Zacatepec in Mexico.
In 2024, he played 11 games for Stallion Laguna in the Philippines.
He has been without a club since that deal ended in August 2024, as reported by Need To Know.
It is not his first arrest.
In August 2022, he was held in the same district after allegedly forcing his way into a house in Caseros and firing gunshots.
Police then seized a 9mm pistol with 11 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber.
He spent about two months in custody before an appeals court found there was insufficient evidence and freed him.
His mother, Flavia, said at the time: “If my son stays locked up, he will die.”
She said he had lived with depression for over a decade.
No court date has been announced.
The investigation continues.
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