*Atlanta Hawks star Thabo Sefolosha was grabbed around the neck and pulled to the ground by several NYPD officers on Wednesday, according to TMZ.
His teammate Pero Antic was already subdued on the curb for trying to block NYPD from investigating Chris Copeland‘s stabbing.
A fight broke out with Sefolosha and six officers. Eventually, one officer grabs the 6 feet 7 inches tall, 222 pound man while two other officers helped him to the ground.
They were able to get him in handcuffs and walk him down the street with bystanders shouting obscenities at the police.
During the scuffle, the player’s tibia was fractured, and he’ll be unable to play for the remainder of the season. Sefolosha and Antic said in a statement they’ll fight the charges.
“As members of the Atlanta Hawks, we hold ourselves to a high standard and take our roles as professionals very seriously. We will contest these charges and look forward to communicating the facts of the situation at the appropriate time. We apologize to our respective families, teammates, and the Hawks organization for any negative attention this incident has brought upon them. We are unable to provide further comment as this is an ongoing legal matter.”
Watch the incident below:
