The National Basketball Players Association and the Atlanta Hawks want further details about the early morning arrests of Thabo Sefolosha and Pero Antic that led to a season-ending injury for Sefolosha.
The events that unfolded outside of a nightclub early Wednesday after Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland was stabbed have come under increased scrutiny by the NBPA and the Hawks, according to a report from Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.
Video of Sefolosha's arrest surfaced Thursday and shows quite a bit of police force being used against the defensive stopper. Antic is already handcuffed on the curb, having been charged with obstruction and disorderly conduct after failing to clear the area where officers were attempting to establish a crime scene.
Police claim Sefolosha charged at an officer, so he received an additional charge of resisting arrest, along with the broken ankle and fractured tibia that will sideline him through the playoffs. That injury went untreated overnight, with Sefolosha remaining in custody while hurt.
NBPA spokeswoman Tara Greco released the following statement to ESPN:
The players' union is concerned about the circumstances of Thabo Sefolosha and Pero Antic's arrest and is doing its own investigation of the situation. The union was fully engaged in supporting all three players in court and in the precinct this week, and will continue to stay engaged as each situation evolves.
The NBPA has reportedly visited the 10th Precinct in Manhattan with inquiries into the incident. The swiftness with which the union is acting should hardly come as a surprise, considering new NBPA executive director Michele Roberts was previously a lawyer and began her career as a public defender.
The Hawks have also begun raising questions about the circumstances, according to ESPN.
