Roberts says NBPA will back Sefolosha if he sues NYPD: 'Turn me on and I'm gone'
Now that he's been formally cleared of charges stemming from an incident with New York City police outside a nightclub in April - one that left him with a season-ending leg fracture - Atlanta Hawks swingman Thabo Sefolosha has the opportunity to file a lawsuit against the NYPD, which he holds responsible for his injury.
Should he choose to pursue litigation, he'll be doing so with the full backing of the NBA Players Association and its executive director, Michele Roberts.
"He had a criminal case and we had to respect that," Roberts told Ramona Shelburne of espnW. "He now has a civil litigation if he wants to pursue it. I take my lead from him ... but all he has to do is turn me on and I'm gone. I can't even tell you how horrific the experience he had was. It was just dreadful."
Immediately following the incident, Roberts and the union launched an independent investigation into the police tactics used in the arrest of Sefolosha and then-teammate Pero Antic, both of whom were lingering at the crime scene - outside the Manhattan club 1Oak - where Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland was stabbed.
It's unclear what was found in that investigation, as the union kept things quiet while Sefolosha defended himself against charges of misdemeanor obstructing government administration, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Similar charges against Antic were dropped in September, but Sefolosha, who pleaded not guilty and refused a plea deal, testified in his own defense just over a week ago.
As part of his testimony, Sefolosha alleged that an officer kicked him in the leg during his arrest, leading to the fractured tibia - which went unattended while he was held overnight in police custody. He and his lawyer also argued that Sefolosha was the victim of racial discrimination by the police.
"I don't know what he saw," Alex Spiro told jurors of officer JohnPaul Giacona. "I think he saw a black man in a hoodie."
Roberts believes Sefolosha is ready to go on the offensive now that he's been acquitted.
"I was outraged when (the incident) happened," she said. "We were all outraged when that happened. We needed to obviously defer to Thabo. We've always taken a backseat and respected what he wants to do and we'll do that going forward. The good news is he does want to do more. And we will do as much as he will allow us to do for him."