Plaxico Burress Accidentally Shoots Self in Leg at Nightclub, Arrest Warrant to Be Issued: WR Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub Friday night. He spent the night at a local hospital and was released Saturday afternoon. There are conflicting reports on the extent of the injury, some saying that Burress merely grazed himself while other saying that the bullet penetrated both skin and muscle tissue in his right thigh. A police official was quoted as saying the bullet went in and out of Burress’ thigh without hitting a major artery or bone.
There are also conflicting reports on how the weapon was discharged. Some press reports say the weapon went off when Burress was voluntarily handing the firearm over to club security. The Daily News is reporting that the gun slipped down Burress’ pant leg and it went off when Burress reached for it.
SNY.tv is reporting that Burress does not have a gun permit and that an arrest warrant will soon be issued for carrying an unlicensed handgun. The Daily News is reporting that Burress is expected to be arrested on felony weapons charges. The NFL has also begun its own investigation and Burress could face disiplinary action from the League, including suspension.
Various press reports say police visited Burress’ home last night by were unable to talk to him. Burress’ wife apparently told police, “You can’t come in. You can’t talk to my husband.”
“He went for his gun and fumbled it. And now it will cost him,” a police source told The Daily News.
According to press reports, MLB Antonio Pierce was with Burress at the time of the incident. The Daily News is reporting that Pierce actually carried the gun away from the scene of the incident. The paper said a Giants’ official will be turning the weapon over to police authorities. It is not known yet if Pierce is also in trouble with the law and NFL authorities. The New York Times is reporting that there may have been at least one other Giant with Burress and Pierce.
“We have people on the scene trying to gather information, get all the facts, determine exactly what happened,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “Right now we’re concerned about Plaxico and finding out all the details.”
The Giants released the following statement yesterday:
“We are aware of the fact that Plaxico was involved in an apparent accidental shooting last night. We have been in contact with Plaxico since shortly after the incident. Plaxico suffered a wound to his right thigh. Obviously, our primary concern is for Plaxico’s health and well-being, and given the circumstances, we are relieved to say he was released from a New York City hospital at approximately 2:00PM today. We have been in touch with NFL Security on this matter. At this point, we are attempting to gather all the facts surrounding this incident. This incident could become a matter for law enforcement officials, and because of that, we have no comment on any of the details.”
Burress had already been ruled out of today’s game against the Redskins due to a hamstring injury in his right leg, the same leg wounded by the bullet.
Editorials on Burress:
- Plaxico Burress’ Problems Put Giants to the Test by Gary Myers of The Daily News
- Plaxico Burress Goes from Hero to Zero by Mike Lupica of The Daily News
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