Thabo Sefolosha to stand trial on Oct. 5 for NYC nightclub incident
Atlanta Hawks guard Thabo Sefolosha is set to stand trial on Oct. 5 for an April incident outside of a New York nightclub.
Sefolosha was arrested and charged with obstructing governmental administration, refusing to clear the area of a crime scene, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct following an argument that resulted in the stabbing of Pacers forward Chris Copeland. Sefolosha sustained a season-ending fibula fracture during his arrest and later released a statement blaming the NYPD for his injury. He is seeking full exoneration after prosecutors on Wednesday offered only a conditional dismissal. Sefolosha turned down a plea bargain that would result in the charges being dropped if he did a day of community service and stayed out of trouble for six months, according to The New York Times.
The Hawks forward cited principle as the reason for challenging the charges, because he felt the cops had arrested him for no reason, The Times reported.
Former Hawks forward Pero Antic was also charged with disorderly conduct and second-degree harassment for interfering with Sefolosha’s arrest. Antic’s charges were dropped in the Wednesday hearing.
Sefolosha averaged 5.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists last season before he was injured.
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