Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy will not face charges for his role in a February bar brawl in Philadelphia that left two off-duty police officers hospitalized, District Attorney Seth Williams announced Monday.
In an afternoon news conference at his office, Williams said that due to conflicting accounts about what happened at Recess Lounge around 2:45 a.m. Feb. 7, there was “insufficient evidence” for criminal charges against McCoy, three of his friends, or three off-duty police officers.
Williams said that a confrontation took place between McCoy’s group and the off-duty officers over a champagne bottle, but that it was unclear how it escalated into a physical fight.
The district attorney said not enough evidence existed to determine who started the fight and whether anyone was acting in self-defense.
He said there were conflicting versions of how physical contact was initiated, and that each participant declined to make a report when asked by uniformed police officers who responded to a police call.
In addition, he said, each participant declined medical attention outside the after-hours nightclub at 125 S. 2nd St., and all went to hospitals far from the club.
“In numerous statements, multiple participants misidentified who was present and participated in the fight,” the D.A.’s Office wrote in an audio-visual presentation at the news conference.
Reaction to the decision was swift.
In a statement, John J. McNesby, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, said “a vicious assault on off-duty police officers by a rich athlete and his friends goes completely unpunished.
“Serious and permanent injuries were inflicted on these officers as a result of a brutal assault captured on film, but a season-ticket hunting District Attorney refuses to do his sworn job and prosecute the attackers.”
The decision not to file charges comes after nearly two months of investigation — and following criticism about the pace of the probe from police officials.
Initial incident reports said that McCoy and his friends —Curtis Brinkley, 30; McCoy’s college teammate, Tamarcus Porter, 27; and Christopher Henderson, 26 — were partying at the club when they got into a dispute with three off-duty police officers over a bottle of champagne.
A melee ensued, the reports said, leaving officers Darnell Jessie and Roland Butler hospitalized for injuries including a potential skull fracture and broken ribs. Sgt. Daniel Ayres was also at the club, but the report did not say whether he was injured.
TMZ Sports later published a grainy video of the brawl purporting to show McCoy throwing a punch into a crowd.
Dennis Cogan, McCoy’s attorney, said in the days after the fracas that his client had done nothing wrong.
For nearly two months, Williams stayed largely quiet on the matter except to say that his job was to file the right charges, regardless of timing.
But criticism came from other corners.
McNesby bashed the pace of the probe on several occasions.
Even Mayor Kenney weighed in on the case, calling McCoy’s alleged actions “cowardly.”
“If he wants to pound our officers and stomp our officers, then he needs to pay the price and answer for his actions,” Kenney told CBS Philadelphia in February.
McCoy, 27, was drafted by the Eagles in 2009 and became the franchise’s all-time leading rusher. He was traded to Buffalo last year.
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