Mistrial Declared in Ex-Steeler Case

<br> <br>FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) _ A mistrial was declared Thursday in the case of former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Greg Lloyd, who was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly shoving a gun in

Thursday, March 18th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) _ A mistrial was declared Thursday in the case of former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Greg Lloyd, who was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly shoving a gun in his son's mouth to punish him for poor grades.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection had faced up to 20 years in prison if he was convicted.

The jury deliberated for 9 1/2 hours over three days before telling Judge Johnnie Caldwell that they were hopelessly deadlocked. They were split 11-1 to convict Lloyd, two jurors told The Associated Press.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Lloyd is accused of sticking a Glock semiautomatic pistol in his then-12-year-old son's mouth in 2001. Lloyd, upset over his son's poor grades in school, allegedly told the boy, ``If you want to waste your life, I can end it now,'' prosecutor Dan Hiatt said.

But Lloyd's lawyer, Ricky Morris, said his client is innocent and was being set up by his estranged wife, Rhonda Lloyd.

Lloyd, 38, will remain in custody as prosecutors decide whether to retry him.

``I'm relieved that he was not convicted,'' Morris said.

Prosecutors left without talking to reporters and were not immediately available for comment.

Juror Glenn Bearden, 60, of Fayetteville, was one of the 11 who voted to convict Lloyd.

``I studied this case for three or four days and went back and forth,'' he said. ``The son seemed very credible, the defendant did not seem at all credible.''

Lloyd and his wife are involved in a bitter divorce and Rhonda Lloyd is seeking full custody of their son. Morris noted that the charge was not filed until last year, after the boy first reported it to a counselor.

The boy, now 15, is currently living with Rhonda Lloyd. Greg Lloyd has been in jail the last three months after a judge denied him bail.

Greg Lloyd has been in trouble with the law before.

In January 2003, Lloyd was charged with simple battery for allegedly pointing a gun at his wife's head, Hiatt said. He later pleaded no contest to that charge and was sentenced to probation and ordered to undergo domestic violence counseling.

In June 2003, Hiatt said, Lloyd was charged with aggravated stalking in connection with an incident at a Mail Boxes Etc. store. Rhonda Lloyd accused her husband of taking a package that belonged to her and calling her on a cell phone in violation of a restraining order, Hiatt said. That case is still pending.

Testimony in the current trial lasted two days. Both the boy and Lloyd testified.

Lloyd played for the Steelers for 10 seasons before he was cut from the team in 1998 because of injuries, and he finished his career with the Carolina Panthers.

Lloyd grew up in Fort Valley and had been living in Fayetteville at the time of the incident with his son