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Matt Barnes Reportedly Wanted by Police for Allegedly Choking Woman in Club
December 5, 2016
Sacramento Kings forward Matt Barnes is reportedly wanted for questioning after allegedly choking a woman and punching two people in a New York City nightclub Monday morning.
According to TMZ Sports, Barnes allegedly choked an unnamed woman during an argument and then hit two people who tried to break up the altercation. He was not at the scene when police arrived. "At least" one other Kings player was allegedly with Barnes at the time but was also gone before officers could question him.
"We do not believe a crime was committed," Barnes' attorney, Alex Spiro, told Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. "We are cooperating with law enforcement and are hopeful no charges will be pressed."
However, A.J. Perez of USA Today reported that "footage of the incident obtained by investigators appears to show Barnes was the assailant, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation who is not authorized to speak publicly because the investigation is ongoing."
Despite Perez's report, Barnes stated his innocence in a post on Instagram:
"We have clear standards of conduct and behavior expected of the entire Kings organization—on and off the court," the Kings said in a statement, per Jones. "We are working with all parties involved to gather information in order to take any appropriate next steps."
The Kings were in town for their Sunday matchup with the New York Knicks. Barnes scored two points on 1-of-11 shooting as the Kings dropped their third straight game. Knicks fans also chanted "Derek Fisher" at Barnes toward the end of the game. (The two used to be teammates on the Lakers, but any friendship ended after Barnes' estranged wife became romantically linked to Fisher.)
No charges have been filed against Barnes at this time. Police are nonetheless investigating and want Barnes to come in for questioning. Jones reported the New York Police Department is still waiting to speak with Barnes.
Barnes was previously arrested in 2010 on suspicion of domestic violence charges. Those charges were later dropped when the woman, then-fiancee Gloria Govan, said Barnes never abused her or her family. The pair later married and then divorced.
Barnes was also arrested for resisting arrest and a misdemeanor traffic warrant in 2012. He pleaded no contest and served two years of probation.
The Kings, who signed Barnes as a free agent this summer, have yet to comment on the situation. They are scheduled to be in Dallas for a game against the Mavericks on Wednesday.
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