University of Maine senior Bryan Grier was charged Tuesday with felony theft and misdemeanor reckless conduct and robbery after an alleged carjacking in Portsmouth, N.H.

According to the Portsmouth Herald, the 23-year-old Grier was arraigned in Portsmouth District Court.

Grier, who for four seasons was a member of the UMaine football team, also was planning to compete this semester on the Black Bears’ outdoor track and field squad.

However, he has been suspended from the team indefinitely pending an investigation of the criminal charges, according to Laura Reed, UMaine’s assistant athletic director for public relations.

Grier, who lives in Bloomfield, Conn., was arrested after an incident Monday evening at the Orchard Park office complex. The 6-foot-1, 335-pound Grier allegedly approached a woman as she loaded packages into her vehicle, a black 2001 Jeep Cherokee.

The woman told police Grier demanded her car keys. She gave them to him and he drove away in her Jeep.

Grier, who later was reportedly seen behaving erratically, was arrested when he was found wandering in the area of the Route 1 Bypass and Greenleaf Avenue in Portsmouth.

Grier’s brother spoke in court Tuesday and told Judge Stephen Morrison that Grier is a “good student” at UMaine, from where he is expected to graduate with a degree in psychology.

“We can’t figure out what happened,” Grier’s brother told the judge, pointing out his brother’s criminal behavior was not typical.

The family asked the court, and prosecutor Corey MacDonald made the request of the judge, to release Grier on personal recognizance bail so he can be treated by a mental health professional.

Morrison set bail at $50,000 personal recognizance, prohibited Grier from having contact with the alleged victim and ordered him to seek mental health counseling and provide proof to the court.

Grier must return to court April 24 for a probable cause hearing.

When asked by the judge if he understood the conditions, Grier stared and did not respond, the Portsmouth Herald reported.

Grier had been a solid contributor for coach Jack Cosgrove’s UMaine football team as a defensive lineman. Last fall, he appeared in 10 games and registered five tackles. Grier played in 43 career games for the Bears from 2004 to 2007.

UM names field hockey captains

Nicole Emery of Winthrop has been selected as the captain of the 2008 UMaine field hockey team, coach Josette Babineau announced Tuesday.

Gigi Niekrash of Madison, Conn., and Kim MacDonald of East Greenwich, R.I., were named assistant captains. Team members voted the three juniors to the leadership positions.

Emery has played in 51 career games at forward for the Black Bears, registering 11 goals and six assists. She ranked second on the team with 10 points last fall and led UMaine with 14 points in 2006.

Midfielder MacDonald has posted 34 points in 55 career games. She ranked third on the team last season with eight points. Niekrash, a back, has appeared in 19 career contests with 14 starts and is a defensive stalwart for the Bears.

Emery and MacDonald each is a three-time winner of the UMaine Scholar-Athlete Award, while Niekrash is a two-time honoree. All three have been named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I National Academic Squad.

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