CLEVELAND (AP) -Cavaliers guard Shannon Brown said Wednesday he was involved in an altercation with a security guard at a downtown nightclub that started after he was escorted from the bar for wearing a hat.
“I was involved in a situation a couple of days ago where I felt like I was assaulted,” Brown said at the team’s training facility.
No charges had been filed related to the incident early Sunday at Liquid Cafe in the trendy Warehouse District, said Victor Perez, the city’s chief assistant prosecutor. Prosecutors were still interviewing witnesses. Police Lt. Thomas Stacho said no arrests were made.
According to a police report filed by off-duty police officer Vasile Nan, security guards Victor Zeitz and Tim Bowser were trying to remove Brown from the club at 1:50 a.m., but the 21-year-old resisted. Brown was pinned to the ground and handcuffed by the staff.
Nan reported that while Brown was in the basement of the club, he was advised five times of the club’s dress code against hats, then was escorted out of the bar.
Zeitz accused Brown of striking him in the face. Brown reported a bruise to his forehead and scrapes to the face and neck.
Nan also reported that a witness believed the security staff roughed Brown up while trying to push him out the door.
Phone messages left seeking comment from Zeitz and the owners of Liquid Cafe were not immediately returned.
WOIO-TV obtained a video that shows Brown being pinned to the ground by a man outside the club. Someone can be heard yelling, “Be cool Shannon.” After Brown is handcuffed and gets off the ground he says, “I didn’t do nothing.”
Cavaliers guard Larry Hughes is shown in the video standing nearby. Hughes told Nan that he witnessed a confrontation in the basement of the club, but didn’t see what happened outside.
Brown played in just 23 games as a rookie with the Cavaliers last season because of a leg injury and averaged 3.2 points per game. He is expected to play a larger role this year for the defending Eastern Conference champions.
He received the support of Cavaliers coach Mike Brown and general manager Danny Ferry.
“Shannon’s a high character guy and we believe in him,” Brown said. “We’re going to just let the legal process take its course.”
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