Newly released police bodycam footage has shown the moment NBA star Brandon Clarke was arrested in Arkansas and found with kratom, six weeks before his death in Los Angeles at the age of 29.
Clarke, who played for the Memphis Grizzlies, was arrested on April 1 after passing multiple vehicles in a no-passing zone at over 100mph, according to police at the time.
The footage, first reported by CBS, shows the moment authorities found kratom in Clarke's vehicle, a substance also known as 'gas station heroin.' Kratom is illegal in Arkansas, despite Clarke being heard in the footage insisting to police that it is legal.
The video begins with a policeman aiming a pistol at Clarke's car on the side of Highway 64 in eastern Arkansas, ordering him to show his hands and put them out of the vehicle through the window. Clarke follows the orders, and officers then ask him what substances he is in possession of.
"It's just kratom, it is legal," Clarke says. He was incorrect given that he was in Arkansas, but he had played his entire NBA career in Memphis with the Grizzlies, and kratom is legal in Tennessee.
Officers are also seen inspecting other substances in Clarke's possession packaged under names such as 'gold rhino.'
Clarke's death investigated
Six weeks after the footage was recorded, Clarke was found dead on May 12 in the San Fernando Valley, with NBC4 reporting that his death was being investigated as a possible overdose.
The inquest into Clarke's final days is still ongoing, and it is not known for certain whether kratom played any role. Multiple studies in the United States have branded the substance unsafe and ineffective, though users have claimed it can help with pain relief.
The Food and Drug Administration strongly recommends against using kratom, warning it can cause "liver toxicity, seizures, substance use disorder" and that "in rare cases, deaths have been associated with kratom use... in combination with other drugs."
The Mayo Clinic has said that "people who take kratom believe that it helps them. But kratom hasn't been shown to be safe or to treat any medical conditions."
A season plagued by injury
It is possible that Canadian-American star Clarke was looking for pain relief, given that he was restricted to just two games for the Grizzlies last season because of ongoing injury issues.
The 6ft 8in forward missed 73 games after first sitting out 26 while recovering from surgery on his right knee, then missing the final 46 with a right calf strain.
Clarke was selected with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who traded him to Memphis almost immediately.
Tributes to Clarke
He died four months before his 30th birthday, which fell on September 19.
"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke," the Grizzlies said at the time of his death. "Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten."
