Olympic Medalist Carlos Arrested on Cocaine Charge

John Carlos, who raised a clenched fist on the victory stand after winning a bronze medal in the 200 meters at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, was arrested in Altadena on a cocaine possession charge, sheriff’s deputies said today.

Sheriff’s spokesman Carl Deeley said Carlos, 41, was driving a friend’s 1966 Mercedes when he was stopped at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday for failing to observe a stop sign and for driving a vehicle with expired registration tags.

As Carlos got out of the car, deputies saw a “bindle,” a small package usually used to wrap cocaine, near the driver’s seat, Deeley said.

“He admitted to the deputies that it was cocaine and that it was given to him by a friend,” Deeley said. Carlos was booked for investigation of cocaine possession and for failure to appear on an outstanding traffic warrant. He was released early this morning on $2,500 bail, Deeley said.