Pacman Jones Allegedly Busted Cop's Lip With Intentional Elbow To Face

Adam "Pacman" Jones busted a cop's lip after "intentionally" throwing an elbow at the officer's face during his arrest Saturday ... new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, state.

The incident, according to the docs, took place at the Kenton County Detention Center in Covington, Ky. at around 1:48 AM -- roughly an hour after Jones had been placed into custody for allegedly being drunk in public.

The docs state that during questioning outside of a bar at around 12:45 AM, Pacman cussed at police ... all while displaying several signs of intoxication -- including "glossy eyes" and "slurred speech."

"Officers determined [Jones] to be a danger to himself and others in his current intoxicated state," police wrote in the docs ... before adding, "[Jones] was causing annoyance and alarm to the pedestrians nearby."

Jones was taken to the KCDC -- but according to the docs, while handcuffed, he "intentionally threw his elbow upwards" and struck an officer in the face, "causing the inside of [the cop's] lip to bleed."

Jones was ultimately booked on three charges -- public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and assault on a police officer.

A rep for the former NFL star, though, said in a statement following the arrest, "Adam did nothing wrong other than exercise his right to ask why he was being detained -- a fundamental question that every citizen should be allowed to ask without fear of retaliation."

"Initially, officers claimed he was being arrested for assault, then shifted to public intoxication (which, in itself, is not a crime in many jurisdictions unless it leads to dangerous behavior), and finally settled on disorderly conduct -- simply for asking why he was being detained."

The rep continued, "This pattern of escalating and inconsistent charges is a clear abuse of authority and demonstrates a troubling trend of police officers prioritizing their own discretion over constitutional rights. Adam, like every American, is innocent until proven guilty. Yet, once again, his past is being weaponized against him in the court of public opinion, while the officers involved face no scrutiny for their conduct. The repeated mischaracterization of his encounters with law enforcement -- often stemming from minor incidents -- only reinforces the need for accountability in policing. Enough is enough."

"People should not be arrested for asking questions," the rep added, "and police should not be allowed to fabricate charges simply because they don’t like the tone of a conversation. This type of behavior erodes trust in law enforcement and undermines justice. Adam deserves fairness, not another headline designed to paint him as a villain for clicks. We call for a full and transparent review of this arrest, and we stand firm in the belief that no one should be treated as guilty before they’ve even had their day in court."