Report: J.R. Smith cleared of wrongdoing after alleged incident with NYC high schooler
After a few months of blowing in the wind, J.R. Smith is in the clear.
Around the start of the season, Smith was accused of getting into an altercation with a 19-year-old high-school student at 4 a.m. on a Friday morning outside of Artichoke Pizza in New York City. The New York Post reported the high schooler heckled Smith, who proceeded to put his hands around the 19-year-old's neck.
Now, two months later, Smith has been cleared of all wrongdoings, per Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com:
"We are thankful there was not a rush to judgment and the truth came out," Smith's attorney Alex Spiro said in a statement.
The New York Police Department and the District Attorney's Office say they have closed the investigation.
"After a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding this case, we have concluded that the evidence does not support criminal charges against Mr. Smith," Patrick Munice, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, said in a statement to cleveland.com.
Smith is averaging 12.2 points per game as the Cavaliers' starting shooting guard. And a word of advice: In the future, try Joe's over Artichoke for late-night pizza. The crust is way better.
