Police say LeSean McCoy involved in alleged assault at nightclub

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Friday, February 12, 2016

Philadelphia police say Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy was definitely involved in an alleged nightclub assault Sunday, and while not saying that he will be charged, captain Frank Banford told ESPN's Mark Schwarz on Thursday that charges from the incident are coming.

McCoy is one of four individuals under investigation for allegedly assaulting two off-duty police officers early Sunday at the Recess Lounge. A police official told ESPN that the district attorney's office wanted to be thorough before determining possible charges.

Larry Krasner, the Philadelphia-based attorney for McCoy, told Outside The Lines' John Barr that there would be "nothing before Wednesday" in terms of McCoy potentially turning himself in.

A source close to the case told Barr, however, that an arrest warrant for McCoy could potentially be issued before Wednesday. The source told Barr that there is an understanding that McCoy won't have to turn himself in until Wednesday at the earliest.

Krasner told Barr on Tuesday that McCoy will turn himself in if he is charged.

Philadelphia station WPVI reportedWednesday that investigators recommended McCoy, who spent his first six NFL seasons in Philadelphia before being traded to the Bills prior to the 2015 season, be one of the individuals charged with aggravated assault.

On Thursday, Jack McMahon told ESPN he had withdrawn as McCoy's attorney. McMahon said he informed the district attorney's office that McCoy would instead be represented by Krasner. Dennis Cogan, also a Philadelphia attorney, will co-represent the running back.

McMahon has represented the police department in the past, while Krasner has represented victims of police brutality.

A source close to the investigation told ESPN that the off-duty police officers will face no internal disciplinary charges as a result of the alleged incident.

Philadelphia's district attorney's office said Tuesday that it has received the case from police and is reviewing it for potential charges.

A statement released Monday by Philadelphia police said that two off-duty officers, both 40-year-old black men and members of the city's police department, were injured in the nightclub fight with four black men, ages 26 through 30, around 2:45 a.m. Sunday. CSNPhilly.com reported that a third off-duty officer was also involved in the fight.

The argument began over ownership of a bottle of champagne, according to the police statement. Police said "pushing and shoving" over the bottle led to one of the off-duty officers being knocked to the ground, and while he was on the ground, he was "punched, kicked and stomped about his body and head multiple times by all four suspects."

Another off-duty officer joined with club security to help break up the fight, and "all parties were ejected from the club," police said.

The officer knocked to the ground was Roland Butler, according to CSNPhilly.com. He went to a hospital, where he was treated for a cut to his right eye, a broken nose, broken ribs and a sprained thumb. The officer who broke up the fight was also admitted to a hospital, where he received eight stitches over his left eye and was receiving treatment Monday for a possible skull fracture, police said in their statement. A police source told Schwarz that one of the officers also suffered an orbital fracture.

Both officers who had been hospitalized have been released.

A third officer, who was not listed in the incident report, has filed a police report, ESPN has learned. A police source told Schwarz that this could mean the DA is trying to bring one more count, if charges are filed.

John McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, a police union, told Philly.com that the officers "look like they got the brunt of it."

McNesby spoke to Barr on Monday to detail the extent of physical damage to the officers: "This was an all-out beatdown with broken bones and serious injuries. These officers are hurting. They're in pain. These are serious injuries."

McNesby did not get into details about who instigated the physical confrontation, though he defended the officers.

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