Marcus and Markieff Morris Charged with Assault: Latest Details, Reaction

Phoenix Suns forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris, who were accused of aggravated assault in January, have formally been charged with a felony after a grand jury issued a court summons for the brothers.

They have pleaded not guilty.

Continue for updates.

---

Morris Brothers Plead Not Guilty

Thursday, May 7

Paul Coro of AZCentral.com reported that the Morris brothers have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them and that their next court appearance is set for June 30.

On April 21, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com shared the news of the charges:

"

The Morris twins are among five men charged in the alleged assault of a 36-year-old man at the Nina Mason Pulliam Recreation Center. Another of the men, Gerald Bowman, was a safety at USC who is preparing for this year's NFL draft. Their first court appearance is scheduled for May 7. ...

The victim, Erik Hood, alleged that he attended a basketball tournament at the recreation center when he saw the Morris brothers enter the gym with three other men: Bowman, Julius Kane and Christopher Melendez.

After the game, police say Hood was confronted by Kane and struck from behind on the head by Melendez. Hood tried to run to his car but had been dazed by the initial blow to the head and fell to the ground, where he was then repeatedly punched and kicked by all five suspects. The assault was witnessed by a 27-year-old woman, who had attended the game with Hood.

"

Shelburne provided a statement from the Morris twins, saying, "We have been advised by our attorneys not to discuss this case or make any statements about it. We are sorry for the distraction this has caused to our fans and the Suns."

The team also addressed the situation in a statement, per Shelburne:

"

We are disappointed to learn that Marcus and Markieff Morris have been charged. This is a serious matter, and we will treat it as such. However, at this time, we think it is most appropriate to continue to monitor the legal process as it unfolds before responding further.

"

Hood had to be taken to the hospital following the alleged assault. The police have said that Hood was attacked after sending "an inappropriate text message" to the Morris twins' mother, per Shelburne.

Hood claimed to have served as a mentor to the Morris twins when they were growing up in Philadelphia, per Matthew Casey of AZCentral.com, though they denied any relationship to him. He reportedly showed police photographs of himself with the pair, according to the police report (via Casey).

Their mother also denied having contact with Hood on the day, though Hood maintained he had sent her a text message telling her he would always be there for her.

Markieff Morris, 25, appeared in all 82 games for the Suns this season, averaging 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in 31.5 minutes per game. Marcus appeared in 81 games, scoring 10.4 points per contest while averaging 4.8 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game.