Early Wednesday morning, Hawks guard Thabo Sefolosha and forward Pero Antic were arrested at a New York nightclub where Pacers forward Chris Copeland was stabbed. Copeland is in stable condition at a New York hospital. The police report states that after refusing to leave the scene, officers moved to arrest Sefolosha for "running in an aggressive manner towards an officer," who the report says then struggled to resist, kicking and flailing his arms.
On Thursday, the Hawks confirmed media reports that Sefolosha suffered a fractured ankle and ligament damage in the incident. Video of Sefolosha leaving the police department after being released showed a limp. Now TMZ has released video of the arrest, which while blurry, shows multiple officers taking Sefolosha to the ground. It does not show the prior incident that lead to the decision to place Sefolosha under arrest.
Warning: Explicit language in French.
The Hawks released the following statement Thursday:
“This is a very difficult situation for Thabo and our thoughts and support will be with him during his recovery. We know that his approach and dedication will serve him well in his rehabilitation,” Head Coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Our team remains focused and will be prepared as we head into the postseason.”
Bleacher Report reported Thursday that the Hawks were trying to help Copeland.
From my source close to Chris Copeland, Hawks players were shielding him from those crowding/taking photos. Police were in protective mode.
— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) April 8, 2015The Hawks released a statement Wednesday that they plan to contest the charges.
