Patriots' Andrews arrested, faces weapons charges

Willie Andrews faces assault and weapons charges.

Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews has been arrested for a second time this offseason, this time on a charge of brandishing a gun at his girlfriend during an argument at his Mansfield apartment.

Andrews - who was arrested in Lowell in February, two days after the Patriots' 17-14 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute - was arrested yesterday by Mansfield police.

Andrews was arraigned yesterday in Attleboro District Court on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a high-capacity firearm, said Gregg Miliote, spokesman for the Bristol district attorney's office.

Andrews was ordered held without bail, pending a dangerousness hearing Thursday morning in Attleboro District Court.

According to Mansfield police, a 911 call was received from Andrews's girlfriend at 1:39 a.m. Monday, reporting a domestic dispute. The woman said her boyfriend had left the apartment on Connors Avenue in Mansfield with a gun.

Andrews's girlfriend left the apartment when officers arrived and went to a local hotel. According to police, they later observed Andrews talking with his girlfriend in the parking lot of the hotel. Police said Andrews fled when he saw the police cruisers. Andrews's girlfriend then told officers about Andrews threatening her with a gun at the apartment.

"The victim stated that during an argument, the suspect held a handgun in his hand and was waving it," said a press release by Mansfield police. "At some point during the argument, the handgun went up to the area of her temple."

Officers returned to the apartment and arrested Andrews at 4:20 a.m. A .45-caliber handgun matching the description given by Andrews's girlfriend was found, hidden next to a large trash bin at the apartment complex at 9:45 a.m.

Although he plays primarily safety for the Patriots, Andrews has made his mark on special teams in his first two seasons.

It's not the first time Andrews, a seventh-round draft choice of the Patriots out of Baylor in 2006, has been arrested on a gun-related charge. In 2002, he was arrested and charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon near Longview, Texas.

Less than two months ago, Andrews, 24, faced a marijuana distribution charge that stemmed from his arrest in Lowell, where police pulled him over and allegedly found him to be in possession of approximately a half-pound of marijuana and $6,808 in cash. After he pleaded to a possession charge May 9, Judge Neil Walker ordered Andrews's case continued without a finding for a year.

Under the conditions of the continuance, Andrews was to complete 100 hours of community service, pay a $1,000 fine, and take part in the NFL's substance abuse program.

If he is out of the NFL, he must report to probation and submit to random drug tests.

Andrews's lawyer, Sean Delaney, said he was going to defer comment on the gun-related charges until Thursday's hearing. Delaney acknowledged this latest incident could jeopardize Andrews's standing in the marijuana case. Ostensibly, it would be a violation of his probation.

The Patriots issued a statement through spokesman Stacey James.

"The New England Patriots take the conduct of our players very seriously," James said. "We are aware of the very disturbing and alarming reports regarding Willie Andrews. We will not offer any additional comment, as is our policy regarding pending legal matters."

Christopher L. Gasper can be reached at cgasper@globe.com.