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Tila Tequila showed off bruises on her arms yesterday while leaving a hotel in Beverly Hills. The reality star claims that they are the result of alleged violence at the hands of her (ex?) boyfriend Shawne Merriman. She had him cuffed using a citizen’s arrest this past weekend. [Photo: Splash News Online]

Before being accused of choking reality star Tila Tequila, NFL star Shawne Merriman had some oddly foreshadowing words about his allegedly violent behavior. The football star, who appears in the October issue of Playboy, said, “I’m so dangerous right now, I scare myself,” when asked about his rebuilt body.

Shawn, whose nickname is “Lights Out” for his ability to knock players out, tells the mag, “…on the field, I’m a beast and a killer.” Shawne also shared that he had a rough upbringing “and some of the unfortunate things that happened are why I’m able to do what I do now.  I’m built for everything that’s taking place now.” In high school, “parents sent letters complaining that I shouldn’t be on the field with their sons, that I was an animal.  It was hilarious.  They stopped letting me hit in practice.  Whenever we had contact drills, they’d send me over to another field, where I would practice hitting dummies.”

Sounds ferocious! [Source: Playboy; Photo: Courtesy of Playboy]

NFL player Shawne Merriman is doing what he can to clear his name after being accused of choking reality star Tila Tequila this weekend. In a statement released late Sunday, Merriman, who only refers to Tequila as an acquaintance and not his girlfriend, wrote, “At the time, I was concerned about her welfare given the intoxicated state she appeared to be in and I encouraged her to stay until safe transportation could be provided. We would all do our best to help a friend if we considered their actions to be detrimental to their personal safety.”

To corroborate Merriman’s story, staff at the bar where the two had been hanging out on Saturday night say that Tequila had several drinks and invited them to do a shot with her, while Merriman only had water. On Sunday, in an attempt to tell her side of things, Tequila took to Twitter, saying that she is allergic to alcohol and her name is just an ironic nickname and she never drinks (the tweet appears to have been removed). Merriman is accused of battery and false imprisonment, and as a result of the altercation, Tequila spent the night at the hospital while Merriman spent 2 1/2 hours in jail before posting bail.

Though he didn’t reveal additional details about the evening, he seems confident that his name will be cleared once additional facts are revealed, saying, “I think when it all surfaces, it will be a different situation. Period.” [Photos: GettyImages]

Tila Tequila is in the hospital after reportedly being attacked by her NFL boyfriend. The Shot At Love star, real name Tila Nguyen, made a 911 call in the early hours of Sunday morning, after an incident with her San Diego Chargers boyfriend Shawne Merriman. “Nguyen told deputies she had been choked and physically restrained by Merriman when she attempted to leave his residence,” it’s reported.

When the police arrived at the scene, Tila signed a citizen’s arrest warrant, which charged him with battery and false imprisonment. Before the incident, the couple had been enjoying an evening at Stingaree nightclub in San Diego, without any sign of problems, according to TMZ.

Tila has now reportedly been released from the hospital, although Merriman remains in police custody at San Diego County jail with his bail set at $58,000. [Photo: Getty Images]