Former NFL running back Curtis Brinkley, left, and former University of Pittsburgh wide receiver TJ Porter, are being investigated along with Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy in an alleged assault on off-duty Philadelphia police officers at a club. (Getty)
Two former football players, one an ex-NFL running back, are being investigated along with Buffalo Bills star LeSean McCoy in an alleged club brawl that led to serious injuries for two off-duty Philadelphia police officers.
Curtis Brinkley and T.J. Porter are named in a police report along with McCoy and a fourth man, Christopher Henderson, CSN Philly reports.
The altercation over a bottle of champagne occurred at about 2:45 a.m. Sunday at the Recess Lounge in Philadelphia, police said in a report released Monday. Brinkley last played in the NFL in 2013 and Porter played college football at the University of Pittsburgh. McCoy previously played for the Philadelphia Eagles. Henderson is a high school friend of McCoy.
The officers were named as Officers Darnell Jessie and Roland Butler and Sergeant Daniel Ayers.
The Bills said in a statement, “We are aware of the reports regarding LeSean McCoy and are in the process of gathering more information. We will not provide any further comment at this time.”
No arrests have been made.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Off-Duty Police Officers Say They Were ‘Punched,’ ‘Kicked’ & ‘Stomped’
A video allegedly showing part of the fight was posted on Twitter by user @Kennys0ck. You can watch it above.
According to the police statement, the altercation began over the “ownership” of a bottle of champagne. The officers said they had purchased four bottles of champagne that night.
Police said T.J. Porter “approached (Officer Roland Butler) and tried to pull the bottle from his hand,” when Butler was moving “to another location with his bottle.”
An argument began when LeSean McCoy, Curtis Brinkley and Christopher Henderson joined Porter. Butler, 40, was knocked to the ground and said he was “punched, kicked and stomped abotu his body and head multiple times by all four suspects.” One of the other officers, also 40, then tried to break up the fight with security guards. McCoy, Brinkley, Porter and Henderson were ejected from the club, police said.
2. One of the Officers Is Being Treated for a Possible Skull Fracture, Police Say
Here is the official statement on LeSean McCoy incident from Philadelphia police
The two off-duty Philadelphia police officers involved in the altercation went to the hospital on their own, police said.
According to the report, which you can read above, one of the officers was treated for a laceration to his right eye, a broken nose, broken ribs and a sprained thumb.
The other officer received eight stitches above his left eye and is “currently receiving treatment for a possible skull fracture.”
3. Brinkley Is a Philadelphia Native & Former San Diego Charger Who Was Shot Multiple Times in 2009
Former San Diego Chargers running back Curtis Brinkley. (Getty)
Curtis Brinkley, 30, is a Philadelphia native who played college football at Syracuse and signed with the San Diego Chargers in 2009 as an undrafted free agent. He played for the Chargers from 2009 to 2012, and was last on a NFL roster as a practice squad player for the Chicago Bears in 2013. He has 227 rushing yards and 1 career touchdown.
Brinkley was shot in 2009 in his hometown of Philadelphia, according to Philly.com. He was sitting in his car at about 12 a.m. near his sister’s house when 25-year-old Anthony Peterson Jr., the boyfriend of Brinkley’s sister, opened fire with a handgun, shooting Brinkley multiple times.
Peterson was later convicted of attempted murder and aggravated assault and sentenced to seven to 14 years in prison. He said the shots were meant for a romantic rival, not Brinkley.
In 2011, after fighting his way back to the NFL, Brinkley was honored with the Ed Block Courage Award, given to a player who embodies sportsmanship and courage.
“It was a great moment,” Brinkley said at the time. “From where I started, not knowing if I would be able to play football again, to right now, coming out here and competing, trying to earn a role out there on the field – there were times I looked and I wasn’t on the depth chart at all.”
4. Porter Was McCoy’s Teammate at the University of Pittsburgh & Was Kicked Off the Team After 2 DUI Arrests
T.J. Porter while playing for the University of Pittsburgh. (Getty)
T.J. Porter was a teammate of LeSean McCoy at the University of Pittsburgh. Porter, a Florida native, was a wide receiver.
He played for three seasons with the Panthers before being dismissed ahead of his senior season after two arrests for driving under the influence in less than a year, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Tribune.
Porter was arrested in February 2009 while participating in a court-supervised rehabilitation program following a May 2008 DUI arrest.
According to a June2015 Bleacher Report article, Porter helped McCoy find a place for both of them to live in Buffalo after he was traded to the Bills. They were roommates at Pittsburgh.
He now “helps McCoy with numerous duties,” and planned on staying with him during the season to “keep him company,” according to Bleacher Report.
5. Surveillance Video Shows McCoy & the Other Men Being Ejected From the Club, but Not the Incident Itself
Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy. (Getty)
Police said there is surveillance video of McCoy, Brinkley, Porter and Henderson being ejected from the club, but not from during the incident itself. It is not clear if police have seen the video posted to social media allegedly showing the fight.
According to Crossing Broad, a second video has emerged online allegedly showing a champagne bottle being swung during the fight, but the website says it is not clear who is swinging the bottle.
The surveillance video recorded by the club has not been made public.
