Odell Thurman accused of assault
June 5, 2007
CINCINNATI (AP) -Suspended Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman has been accused of kicking and hitting two men in his Georgia hometown during the weekend. He has not been charged with a crime, but a magistrate will hear testimony Friday to determine if charges should be filed.
The NFL suspended Thurman for the first four games of 2006 after he skipped a drug test. The suspension was extended to a full season following his arrest on a drunken driving charge in September. Thurman is one of nine Cincinnati players to be arrested in the past year.
Two men filed a complaint Sunday with police in Monticello, Ga., southeast of Atlanta, accusing Thurman of assaulting them early Sunday following an argument at a home, Jasper County Chief Magistrate Ken Jackson said Tuesday. The men accused Thurman's brother, Willie Thurman, of threatening them with a gun.
``Evidently, this was some type of party in the wee hours of the morning,'' Jackson said.
Because the allegations were not reported quickly and police were unable to conduct an immediate investigation, Jackson said, a county magistrate will hear testimony Friday to determine if anyone should be charged.
Messages seeking comment were left with Odell Thurman's agent and with the NFL.
Thurman pleaded no contest to the drunken driving charge in February. Last Friday, a judge in Cincinnati suspended all but six days of a 90-day sentence and ordered Thurman to serve those six days at a treatment center.
Thurman played two seasons at Georgia and was drafted by Cincinnati in the second round of the 2005 draft. He led the Bengals in tackles that season with 148.
Thurman can apply for reinstatement for this coming season, although earlier this year coach Marvin Lewis refused to talk about whether Thurman still figured in the team's plans.
Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said Tuesday the team had no comment on the latest allegations.
``His situation is controlled by the league, he's not officially on our roster,'' Brennan said. ``Since his possible reinstatement is in the league's hands, we would defer any comment to the league.''
Assault complaint against Bengals' Thurman dropped
June 8, 2007
MONTICELLO, Ga. (AP) -Two Georgia men who accused suspended Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman of kicking and hitting them at a party have dropped their complaint.
Chrissy Pitts, deputy clerk of Magistrate Court in Jasper County, Ga., said Friday that papers seeking to dismiss the case were being filed by the complainants.
Pitts said she did not know what prompted their decision not to move forward with their accusations.
``It was settled,'' Pitts said. ``We aren't aware of any terms that were involved in the settlement. That was between the attorneys and the parties.''
A hearing on the accusations against Thurman had been set for Friday, but was canceled because of the dismissal. Thurman had not been charged with a crime, but a magistrate had been expected to hear testimony to determine if charges should be filed.
Two men filed a complaint Sunday with police in Monticello, 60 miles southeast of Atlanta, accusing Thurman of assaulting them early Sunday following an argument at a home. The men accused Thurman's brother, Willie Thurman, of threatening them with a gun.
The NFL suspended Thurman for the first four games of 2006 after he skipped a drug test. The suspension was extended to a full season following his arrest on a drunken driving charge in September. Thurman is one of nine Cincinnati players to be arrested in the past year.
Thurman can apply for reinstatement for this coming season, although earlier this year Bengals coach Marvin Lewis refused to talk about whether Thurman still figured in the team's plans.
Thurman played two seasons at Georgia and was drafted by Cincinnati in the second round of the 2005 draft. He led the Bengals in tackles that season with 148.
He must use the same attorney as Paris Hilton. ;D