Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond's Foster Son Arrested After Allegedly Hitting Police Officer

Jamar Goff, the foster son of Food Network star Ree Drummond, has been arrested in Alabama on multiple drug and assault-related charges, according to court records and reports. Goff, 23, was booked into Jefferson County Jail in Birmingham, Alabama, after an incident that allegedly involved an attempt to evade police and an alleged assault on an officer.

Online court records show Goff was booked on 15 September at around 2:30am local time. He faces four charges: unlawful possession of a controlled substance, aggravated assault on a police officer, drug paraphernalia for use or possession, and attempting to elude an officer. His bond was set at $37,000 (£28,000), and he remained in custody at the time of the report.

Court documents detailing the circumstances of the arrest say an officer responded to a report about a suspicious person on the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus. Officers allegedly found Goff sleeping near a fountain without a shirt and woke him to ask what he was doing on campus.

What Happened During the Alleged Police Encounter?

The documents state that Goff allegedly told officers he was waiting for someone to arrive and sell him 'ice,' a term the documents identify as another name for methamphetamine. After officers learned that Goff allegedly had a warrant for his arrest, he reportedly ran from them and eventually ended up at a local hospital.

At the hospital, Goff allegedly used 'an open-handed palm strike' against an officer, according to the court documents. He was subsequently booked on the four charges.

Goff was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia-related offences, attempting to elude a police officer and aggravated assault.

How Jamar Goff Became Part of Ree Drummond's Family

Drummond and her husband, Ladd Drummond, became foster parents to Goff in 2018, when he was a teenager. According to AOL, Goff became close to the family through Drummond's sons, Bryce and Todd, whom he played football with.

Drummond previously described how Goff became part of the family in her book Frontier Follies. She wrote that fostering a child was not something she and Ladd had originally pursued, but Goff's circumstances led them to take him in.

Goff had also suffered a serious ATV accident on the family's property after taking a sharp turn and tipping over the vehicle. Drummond wrote that he badly injured his foot, requiring a skin graft and tendon repair surgery, followed by more than six weeks of recovery.

Ree Drummond Previously Celebrated Her Foster Son

Goff later returned to football and began his college career with the University of Central Oklahoma Broncos in 2021. Drummond publicly celebrated his college decision at the time.

Drummond has previously spoken warmly about Goff. In an October 2023 birthday post, she described him as someone with a 'whole universe' in his mind, heart and soul and said she looked forward to seeing his future unfold.

As of the reports, it was unclear whether Goff had obtained legal counsel. Us Magazine reported that it had reached out to Drummond's team for comment.