Sigz
08-16-2010, 05:02 PM
NEW YORK -- Indiana Pacers draft pick Lance Stephenson, after pushing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs, grabbed her and hit her head on the bottom step, prosecutors said Monday.
A judge released Stephenson, 19, without bail late Sunday night after his arrest on assault, menacing and harassment charges. Prosecutors had asked for $7,500 bail.
Authorities say the confrontation occurred around 5 a.m. Sunday when the victim, Jasmine Williams, was returning home to her apartment building with two friends. Witnesses said Stephenson was waiting for her and yelled, "Are you kidding me?" before pushing her down the stairs.
Pacers president Larry Bird has said he was aware of the situation. Stephenson attorney Alberto Ebanks didn't return phone and e-mail messages Monday.
"The news of Lance Stephenson's arrest is very disappointing to the Pacers franchise and to me personally," Bird said in a statement. "We have worked very hard to bring in players that are excellent representatives of our franchise, community and state both on and off the court. Our commitment to this goal is too strong to permit the actions of one individual to reverse all of the positive strides that have been made as a franchise over the last couple of years or to hurt the image of the rest of the players on our team."
A criminal complaint provided Monday by the Brooklyn district attorney's office said that as Williams lay at the bottom of the stairs, Stephenson picked up her head and slammed it on the bottom step.
When police arrived, Stephenson told them the woman had fallen down the stairs, prosecutors said. The complaint said Williams suffered head and back wounds, and possible damage to her neck.
Stephenson was one of the nation's top high school prospects. He played one season at Cincinnati before applying for early entry to the NBA draft.
"Everyone in the Pacers organization remains strongly committed to our players representing Indianapolis and the state of Indiana in a positive way and will not condone behavior that reflects poorly on this franchise and community," Bird said in a news release.
Stephenson's next court date is scheduled for Oct. 19, according to New York-area media reports.
"We are continuing to gather all of the facts regarding Lance's arrest but regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Lance should not have put himself in the position he was in early Sunday morning," Bird said. "We have consistently emphasized to our players the importance of not putting themselves in situations where bad things can happen. Once all the facts are known we will deal appropriately with Lance so that he, the team and the entire Pacers community understands that this message cannot be ignored."
A judge released Stephenson, 19, without bail late Sunday night after his arrest on assault, menacing and harassment charges. Prosecutors had asked for $7,500 bail.
Authorities say the confrontation occurred around 5 a.m. Sunday when the victim, Jasmine Williams, was returning home to her apartment building with two friends. Witnesses said Stephenson was waiting for her and yelled, "Are you kidding me?" before pushing her down the stairs.
Pacers president Larry Bird has said he was aware of the situation. Stephenson attorney Alberto Ebanks didn't return phone and e-mail messages Monday.
"The news of Lance Stephenson's arrest is very disappointing to the Pacers franchise and to me personally," Bird said in a statement. "We have worked very hard to bring in players that are excellent representatives of our franchise, community and state both on and off the court. Our commitment to this goal is too strong to permit the actions of one individual to reverse all of the positive strides that have been made as a franchise over the last couple of years or to hurt the image of the rest of the players on our team."
A criminal complaint provided Monday by the Brooklyn district attorney's office said that as Williams lay at the bottom of the stairs, Stephenson picked up her head and slammed it on the bottom step.
When police arrived, Stephenson told them the woman had fallen down the stairs, prosecutors said. The complaint said Williams suffered head and back wounds, and possible damage to her neck.
Stephenson was one of the nation's top high school prospects. He played one season at Cincinnati before applying for early entry to the NBA draft.
"Everyone in the Pacers organization remains strongly committed to our players representing Indianapolis and the state of Indiana in a positive way and will not condone behavior that reflects poorly on this franchise and community," Bird said in a news release.
Stephenson's next court date is scheduled for Oct. 19, according to New York-area media reports.
"We are continuing to gather all of the facts regarding Lance's arrest but regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Lance should not have put himself in the position he was in early Sunday morning," Bird said. "We have consistently emphasized to our players the importance of not putting themselves in situations where bad things can happen. Once all the facts are known we will deal appropriately with Lance so that he, the team and the entire Pacers community understands that this message cannot be ignored."