Hawks release statements regarding arrests of reserves Antic, Sefolosha
Atlanta Hawks reserves Thabo Sefolosha and Pero Antic were arrested early Wednesday in New York City and charged with multiple misdemeanors, including obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct. Atlanta is in town for a Wednesday night's game against the Brooklyn Nets.
"The events of this morning involving Pero and Thabo were unfortunate as we never want to see our players put themselves in a potentially negative situation," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said in a statement. "We will continue to look into the facts of the incident but with the information and foundation that we currently have established, we will support them through this process. Otherwise it is a continuing legal matter and I will have no further comment."
Antic and Sefolosha were present during an incident at 1 OAK club which turned violent, resulting in multiple people being stabbed, including Pacers forward Chris Copeland and his wife. While Copeland and his wife were rushed to a nearby hospital and are reportedly in stable condition, Antic and Sefolosha were detained for refusing to allow police to set up the crime scene.
According to the police report, "The defendant (Antic) and the separately charged defendant actions interfered with my ability and lawful duty to clear the area in order for the other officers to establish a crime scene." The report says that both players were told to disperse six times before being placed under arrest. In addition to the obstruction and disorderly conduct charges, Antic was charged with harrassment in the second degree while Sefolosha was charged with resisting arrest.
Both players were arraigned Wednesday afternoon and released on their own recognizance. They are due in court on June 16.
In a joint statement, Antic and Sefolosha said they plan to contest the charges.
"As members of the Atlanta Hawks, we hold ourselves to a high standard and take our roles as professionals very seriously. We will contest these charges and look forward to communicating the facts of the situation at the appropriate time," the statement read. "We apologize to our respective families, teammates, and the Hawks organization for any negative attention this incident has brought upon them. We are unable to provide further comment as this is an ongoing legal matter."
Additionally, the team confirmed that Sefolosha injured his ankle at the scene.
Sefolosha, who missed a large portion of the season while recovering from a calf injury, is an important wing defender off the bench for the Hawks, averaging 18.8 minutes and 5.3 points per game after being traded to Atlanta in the offseason. The 6-foot-11 Antic is logging 16.5 minutes while averaging 5.7 points and 2.9 rebounds as a reserve big man.
Hours before the incident, the Hawks set a franchise-record with their 58th win of the season by beating the Phoenix Suns, 96-69. The Eastern Conference's top seed has five games remaining on the schedule before entering the playoffs.
