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Burress taken to downtown booking facility; weapon charge expected
Police escorted Plaxico Burress out of a midtown Manhattan police station in handcuffs Monday, placing him in a car in which he was taken downtown to be booked into jail before appearing in court.
Burress arrived to the 17th Precinct station shortly after 8 a.m. ET in a black Cadillac Escalade wearing jeans and a black coat. He was expected to be charged after accidentally shooting himself Friday night in the right thigh at a Manhattan nightclub.
The New York Giants star wide receiver was silent but held his head high as he was led out of the police station, where a crowd that included Giants fans hovered nearby with cell phone cameras. He was not visibly limping.
Burress planned to plead not guilty to a weapon possession charge during a Monday afternoon court appearance, his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said outside the police station.
ESPN legal analyst Roger Cossack reported that Burress could face up to seven years in prison if convicted on a felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
Burress had a concealed-weapon permit issued to him in Florida but records show it expired in May and New York does not recognize out-of-state permits anyway, New York media have reported.
"He is standing tall. He is a mature adult," Brafman said. "I think any professional athlete in this situation would be concerned."
The episode set off a frenzy that showed no signs of letting up Monday: Police said the case could expand beyond Burress, with authorities investigating Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce and whether the hospital Burress checked into failed to report the shooting. The NFL is closely monitoring the developments as well.
According to the New York Post, the hospital failed to report the gunshot as required by law after hospital personnel recognized Burress, despite his checking into New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center under a fake name, Harris Smith.
He also said he'd been shot at an Applebee's restaurant, the Post reported, citing unnamed sources.
A more detailed timeline of the evening also emerged. Police said Pierce, Burress and running back Derrick Ward arrived at the club with two other people around 11:30 p.m. Friday.
Burress had been allowed to bypass security, even though they knew he was armed, according to a law enforcement official who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The club is said to be fully cooperating in the investigation.
Around 12:05 a.m., as Burress was being escorted to a VIP area with a drink in one hand, he somehow ended up fumbling his gun and it discharged, hitting his thigh. Pierce was with him when that occurred, police said.
It's believed Pierce took Burress to the car and then left with him, according to police. The .40-caliber Glock was found in the glove compartment of Pierce's Cadillac Escalade, but it's unclear who put the weapon there.
Police are trying to figure out what happened in the two hours that followed. Burress showed up at the hospital around 2:20 a.m, and was discharged at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Police said they had to track Burress down by canvassing local hospitals, and he had been discharged from New York-Presbyterian by the time detectives got there Saturday. An administrator then refused to give detectives information, citing privacy rules, police said.
The gun was eventually recovered at Burress' house in New Jersey, authorities said.
Pierce was interviewed by NFL security at the Giants' hotel Saturday in Washington, Giants general manager Jerry Reese said.
Police and NFL security were also probing whether there was a third Giants player who was present or involved, at the very least for gathering more information on the incident, sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen on Sunday.
The New York Daily News has reported that Pierce tried to hide Burress' gun. Pierce -- who started against Washington -- reportedly was present for the latest dramatic turn in a tumultuous season of fines and suspension for Burress.
"Antonio is working on trying to beat the Redskins right now," Reese said before Sunday's 23-7 victory at Washington. "That's where his focus is and where it should be right now."
Pierce deflected several questions after the game. He wouldn't say whether he has a lawyer and when asked if he is concerned about his own situation, Pierce replied only: "No. I'm fine where I'm at.
"I am not answering any questions about the incident that happened Friday night. If you have anything to say about the Washington Redskins, this game and moving forward, I'll answer it. Anything else, I'm not answering."
Ward said he wasn't with Burress on Friday night, and learned of the shooting on Saturday along with other teammates. He said the last time he saw Burress was "that afternoon [Friday], right after practice."
Asked if he would say where he was Friday night, Ward said: "It doesn't really matter where I was. It just matters that I wasn't with them."
The case drew the wrath of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has waged a long fight against illegal guns during his time in office. He called for a full prosecution of state law that requires mandatory prison for carrying a loaded handgun.
"I don't think anybody should be exempt from that, and I think it would be an outrage if we didn't prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, particularly people who live in the public domain, make their living because of their visibility -- they're the role models for our kids," Bloomberg said.
He also lashed out at the hospital, based on the allegation that officials may not have properly reported the shooting.
"It's just an outrage that the hospital didn't do what they were legally required to do. It's a misdemeanor, it's a chargeable offense, and I think the district attorney should certainly go after the management of this hospital. The lame excuse that they didn't know -- this is a world-class hospital," he said.
A call to the hospital seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Brafman refused to respond to media reports about an alleged coverup, other than to say: "I think a lot of what's been in the press is not accurate."
Brafman said Burress is feeling OK.
"If they let him play, he will be able to play," Brafman said. "I think he will be a superstar for the rest of his career."
"My hope is that it plays out well and he can continue his career, because he's a good person I think, with a brilliant athletic career. And it would be a terrible sadness if an isolated incident could ruin a life," Brafman said.
The NFL is monitoring the case.
"This is a law enforcement matter and we are continuing to cooperate fully with the police," league spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement. "In addition, it will be reviewed under our league policies."
Brafman met with Burress for about an hour Sunday at the player's home in New Jersey.
"I would ask that his fans, the Giants and the media withhold judgment in this matter until all of the facts have been disclosed," Brafman said earlier in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
Brafman is a well-known criminal lawyer who has defended mobsters and other high-profile figures, including hip-hop impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs on a bribery and gun possession charge in 2001.
Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said he spoke to Burress on the phone after Sunday's game.
"I called him and made a few jokes about the situation and his laugh is what I wanted to hear," Jacobs said, according to Newsday. "If he didn't laugh I knew he was going to be down, which he shouldn't be down. It's a mistake that happened, something that shouldn't have happened and that's that."
Before the shooting, Burress already had been ruled out of the game because of a leg injury.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he spoke to his players about Burress' situation but wouldn't get into specifics.
"We all are upset about what happened with Plaxico, and hopefully he's going to be fine and so on and so forth. That's our first concern," Coughlin said. "Once that was taken care of, we knew that he was OK, then the guys got right back to focusing on the reason we were here."
Coughlin wouldn't address Burress' future with the Giants, saying only, "Questions of that nature will be discussed going forward, I'm sure."
The team is considering placing Burress on the non-football injury reserved list, which would make him ineligible for the remainder of the season, sources told Mortensen. It also would allow the Giants to recover some money already paid to Burress.
Additionally, a source told Mortensen that Burress has as much as $4.5 million tied to play-time incentives and active-roster status.
Hours earlier, Reese and Giants president and CEO John Mara also avoided discussing what Burress' status with the team might be.
"I want to wait until we find out all the facts and circumstances before we make any determination," Mara said. "I don't know what happened there, and until we find out exactly what happened, I'm not going to make any comment or make any decision about what his future is."
Reese and Mara said they hadn't spoken to Burress, who hurt his hamstring two weeks ago and was going to miss the game against the Redskins because of that injury.
"I reached out to him," Reese said. "I did not get a return phone call."
Mara repeatedly said the Giants would cooperate with the police and the NFL in their investigations.
Burress caught the go-ahead touchdown pass in the Giants' Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots in February, following a regular season in which he scored a career-high 12 TDs. He was rewarded with a $35 million, five-year contract, only hours before the current season.
Burress has 35 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns while constantly drawing double coverage this season.
Off the field, he was suspended for a game against Seattle in October and fined $117,500 for missing a team meeting and failing to notify the Giants of his absence. He said he had a family emergency.
Burress also was fined $45,000 by the NFL for his conduct during a game against San Francisco in which he abused an official and tossed a ball into the stands.
"I don't think people understand how good of a person he really is," fellow receiver Amani Toomer said after catching a 40-yard touchdown pass in the Giants' victory Sunday. "A good heart. I think he's a good guy."
Source: AP
Burress arrived to the 17th Precinct station shortly after 8 a.m. ET in a black Cadillac Escalade wearing jeans and a black coat. He was expected to be charged after accidentally shooting himself Friday night in the right thigh at a Manhattan nightclub.
The New York Giants star wide receiver was silent but held his head high as he was led out of the police station, where a crowd that included Giants fans hovered nearby with cell phone cameras. He was not visibly limping.
Burress planned to plead not guilty to a weapon possession charge during a Monday afternoon court appearance, his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said outside the police station.
ESPN legal analyst Roger Cossack reported that Burress could face up to seven years in prison if convicted on a felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.
Burress had a concealed-weapon permit issued to him in Florida but records show it expired in May and New York does not recognize out-of-state permits anyway, New York media have reported.
"He is standing tall. He is a mature adult," Brafman said. "I think any professional athlete in this situation would be concerned."
The episode set off a frenzy that showed no signs of letting up Monday: Police said the case could expand beyond Burress, with authorities investigating Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce and whether the hospital Burress checked into failed to report the shooting. The NFL is closely monitoring the developments as well.
According to the New York Post, the hospital failed to report the gunshot as required by law after hospital personnel recognized Burress, despite his checking into New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center under a fake name, Harris Smith.
He also said he'd been shot at an Applebee's restaurant, the Post reported, citing unnamed sources.
A more detailed timeline of the evening also emerged. Police said Pierce, Burress and running back Derrick Ward arrived at the club with two other people around 11:30 p.m. Friday.
Burress had been allowed to bypass security, even though they knew he was armed, according to a law enforcement official who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The club is said to be fully cooperating in the investigation.
Around 12:05 a.m., as Burress was being escorted to a VIP area with a drink in one hand, he somehow ended up fumbling his gun and it discharged, hitting his thigh. Pierce was with him when that occurred, police said.
It's believed Pierce took Burress to the car and then left with him, according to police. The .40-caliber Glock was found in the glove compartment of Pierce's Cadillac Escalade, but it's unclear who put the weapon there.
Police are trying to figure out what happened in the two hours that followed. Burress showed up at the hospital around 2:20 a.m, and was discharged at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Police said they had to track Burress down by canvassing local hospitals, and he had been discharged from New York-Presbyterian by the time detectives got there Saturday. An administrator then refused to give detectives information, citing privacy rules, police said.
The gun was eventually recovered at Burress' house in New Jersey, authorities said.
Pierce was interviewed by NFL security at the Giants' hotel Saturday in Washington, Giants general manager Jerry Reese said.
Police and NFL security were also probing whether there was a third Giants player who was present or involved, at the very least for gathering more information on the incident, sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen on Sunday.
The New York Daily News has reported that Pierce tried to hide Burress' gun. Pierce -- who started against Washington -- reportedly was present for the latest dramatic turn in a tumultuous season of fines and suspension for Burress.
"Antonio is working on trying to beat the Redskins right now," Reese said before Sunday's 23-7 victory at Washington. "That's where his focus is and where it should be right now."
Pierce deflected several questions after the game. He wouldn't say whether he has a lawyer and when asked if he is concerned about his own situation, Pierce replied only: "No. I'm fine where I'm at.
"I am not answering any questions about the incident that happened Friday night. If you have anything to say about the Washington Redskins, this game and moving forward, I'll answer it. Anything else, I'm not answering."
Ward said he wasn't with Burress on Friday night, and learned of the shooting on Saturday along with other teammates. He said the last time he saw Burress was "that afternoon [Friday], right after practice."
Asked if he would say where he was Friday night, Ward said: "It doesn't really matter where I was. It just matters that I wasn't with them."
The case drew the wrath of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has waged a long fight against illegal guns during his time in office. He called for a full prosecution of state law that requires mandatory prison for carrying a loaded handgun.
"I don't think anybody should be exempt from that, and I think it would be an outrage if we didn't prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, particularly people who live in the public domain, make their living because of their visibility -- they're the role models for our kids," Bloomberg said.
He also lashed out at the hospital, based on the allegation that officials may not have properly reported the shooting.
"It's just an outrage that the hospital didn't do what they were legally required to do. It's a misdemeanor, it's a chargeable offense, and I think the district attorney should certainly go after the management of this hospital. The lame excuse that they didn't know -- this is a world-class hospital," he said.
A call to the hospital seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Brafman refused to respond to media reports about an alleged coverup, other than to say: "I think a lot of what's been in the press is not accurate."
Brafman said Burress is feeling OK.
"If they let him play, he will be able to play," Brafman said. "I think he will be a superstar for the rest of his career."
"My hope is that it plays out well and he can continue his career, because he's a good person I think, with a brilliant athletic career. And it would be a terrible sadness if an isolated incident could ruin a life," Brafman said.
The NFL is monitoring the case.
"This is a law enforcement matter and we are continuing to cooperate fully with the police," league spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement. "In addition, it will be reviewed under our league policies."
Brafman met with Burress for about an hour Sunday at the player's home in New Jersey.
"I would ask that his fans, the Giants and the media withhold judgment in this matter until all of the facts have been disclosed," Brafman said earlier in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
Brafman is a well-known criminal lawyer who has defended mobsters and other high-profile figures, including hip-hop impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs on a bribery and gun possession charge in 2001.
Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said he spoke to Burress on the phone after Sunday's game.
"I called him and made a few jokes about the situation and his laugh is what I wanted to hear," Jacobs said, according to Newsday. "If he didn't laugh I knew he was going to be down, which he shouldn't be down. It's a mistake that happened, something that shouldn't have happened and that's that."
Before the shooting, Burress already had been ruled out of the game because of a leg injury.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he spoke to his players about Burress' situation but wouldn't get into specifics.
"We all are upset about what happened with Plaxico, and hopefully he's going to be fine and so on and so forth. That's our first concern," Coughlin said. "Once that was taken care of, we knew that he was OK, then the guys got right back to focusing on the reason we were here."
Coughlin wouldn't address Burress' future with the Giants, saying only, "Questions of that nature will be discussed going forward, I'm sure."
The team is considering placing Burress on the non-football injury reserved list, which would make him ineligible for the remainder of the season, sources told Mortensen. It also would allow the Giants to recover some money already paid to Burress.
Additionally, a source told Mortensen that Burress has as much as $4.5 million tied to play-time incentives and active-roster status.
Hours earlier, Reese and Giants president and CEO John Mara also avoided discussing what Burress' status with the team might be.
"I want to wait until we find out all the facts and circumstances before we make any determination," Mara said. "I don't know what happened there, and until we find out exactly what happened, I'm not going to make any comment or make any decision about what his future is."
Reese and Mara said they hadn't spoken to Burress, who hurt his hamstring two weeks ago and was going to miss the game against the Redskins because of that injury.
"I reached out to him," Reese said. "I did not get a return phone call."
Mara repeatedly said the Giants would cooperate with the police and the NFL in their investigations.
Burress caught the go-ahead touchdown pass in the Giants' Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots in February, following a regular season in which he scored a career-high 12 TDs. He was rewarded with a $35 million, five-year contract, only hours before the current season.
Burress has 35 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns while constantly drawing double coverage this season.
Off the field, he was suspended for a game against Seattle in October and fined $117,500 for missing a team meeting and failing to notify the Giants of his absence. He said he had a family emergency.
Burress also was fined $45,000 by the NFL for his conduct during a game against San Francisco in which he abused an official and tossed a ball into the stands.
"I don't think people understand how good of a person he really is," fellow receiver Amani Toomer said after catching a 40-yard touchdown pass in the Giants' victory Sunday. "A good heart. I think he's a good guy."
Source: AP
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