Hines Ward mistakenly handcuffed in L.A.

(PEOPLE.com) -- Hines Ward has been letting loose on "Dancing with the Stars," but he was considerably more restrained -- handcuffed, in fact -- during a traffic stop in Los Angeles early Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers star, 35, and the female driver of the car were briefly handcuffed after police believed the vehicle was stolen, says TMZ.com. In fact, the driver herself had reported the car stolen, and had failed to alert police when she recovered it.

"It was an obvious mistake," Ward's rep, Andrew Ree, tells PEOPLE of the situation. "The police were doing their job."

Both Ward and his companion were placed in handcuffs, though they were not arrested. After explaining the situation, they were allowed to leave.

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