The Packer Pundit

APPLETON — Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett was arrested after a disturbance early today at a downtown Appleton tavern, police said. According to a police statement, Barnett was involved in a physical altercation about 2 a.m. at the nightclub known as Wet, 344 W. College Ave. He was subsequently arrested for battery and was confined to the Outagamie County Jail a few blocks away. He was released from jail within an hour after posting a $500 cash bond. He appeared this afternoon at Packers teammate Brett Favre’s annual charity softball game, held at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute. He was not immediately available for comment. Appleton police said today that they were releasing no further information on the incident, except for a brief press release they issued in the morning.

Jail records show Barnett, 26, was booked into the jail at 3:06 a.m. and released on bond at 4:06. Police call logs show 13 Appleton officers responded to the call of a disturbance at the corner of College Avenue and Division Street at 1:57 a.m. A half-dozen officers had responded to a call at the tavern an hour earlier. That call was listed as an alcohol violation, and was cleared by arrest, but details were not available Sunday to determine if the two calls were related. Police also called for medical assistance at the College and Division intersection at 2:12 a.m., records show. The Packers selected Barnett out of Oregon State University in the first round of the 2003 draft. He is in his fifth season with the team, and had been involved in a controversy over a nightclub he owned, the FiveSix Ultra Lounge in Green Bay. The club closed earlier this year after it temporarily lost its liquor license because of numerous police calls.