Shaquille O'Neal
helps to apprehend gay basher

Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal provided an assist to police over the weekend, trailing a man who allegedly assaulted a gay couple, then alerting an arresting officer. The 7-foot-1 Miami Heat center, who is in the process of becoming a Miami Beach reserve officer, was driving through South Beach around 3 a.m. Sunday. He saw a passenger in a car yell antigay slurs at the couple, who were on foot, said Bobby Hernandez, a spokesman for the Miami Beach Police Department. The man then got out of the car and threw a bottle, hitting one of the pedestrians, who was not seriously hurt. The man got back in the car, which sped off. O'Neal followed until he was able to flag down an officer, who then made an arrest, Hernandez said. (AP)