When Kevin Ellison jumped from his burning third-floor apartment Thursday, he told police he ignited the fire with a marijuana blunt on God's orders.
Ellison, a linebacker/defensive back for the Arena Football League's Spokane Shock -- and a former 2009 sixth-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers -- was arrested after telling authorities God ordered him "to set the bed on fire," according to The Spokesman-Review.
No injuries were reported, but the fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damages.
Firefighters were en route to a separate blaze when they noticed flames pouring out of Ellison's pad in Liberty Lake, Wash. Police evacuated the building, and Ellison was shipped to a local hospital, where he shared his narrative with authorities. Ellison later told the same story to Shock general manager Ryan Rigmaiden.
Ellison's roommate, Shock teammate Chris Tucker, told investigators he was rattled from sleep by the sound of smoke detectors and went to check on Ellison, who refused to open his door. Ellison simply told Tucker, "I'm good."
Ellison, 25, now faces a federal arson charge and has been suspended by the AFL.
"I think the investigation needs to play out, but if he truly did this, he's never coming back," Shock majority owner Brady Nelson said.
After playing at USC, Ellison logged just nine games with the Chargers in 2009. He was arrested in 2010 on a controlled-substance charge in Redondo Beach, Calif.
