An NFL star is facing four felony charges after his involvement in a violent altercation in Pittsburgh last weekend. New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis was charged Thursday evening with two counts of aggravated assault, one count of robbery, one count of conspiracy, and making terroristic threats (a misdemeanor), according to court records.
Two men were taken to the hospital following the altercation and one of them suffered broken bones around his eye, sources close to the investigation said.
Attorney Blaine Jones said Revis would turn himself in to police within the next 24 to 48 hours: “He’s not going to run from a warrant,” Jones told ESPN on Friday morning. Jones has insisted Revis was “not the aggressor” in the brawl that occurred on the South Side of Pittsburgh during the early morning hours.
Police said in a statement that officers were dispatched to the location Sunday, February 12, at approximately 2:43 a.m. for a report that two males had been knocked unconscious.
Here are some more details from the complaint via NJ.com:
* The two alleged victims are Dallas Cousins, 22, and Zacheriah Jarvis, 21. They are roommates. Cousins is from Kittanning, Pa., which is 40 miles from Pittsburgh. He sustained the aforementioned eye injury.
* Cousins had “a contusion above his left eyebrow, the size of a half a golf ball, with a one-inch laceration on it.” And Jarvis had “a contusion on his right cheek.” Both men initially refused medical attention, but both later went to a hospital for treatment. There, Cousins was diagnosed with his eye fracture.
* The incident began when Cousins and some friends spotted Revis standing on the street. Cousins asked Revis if he was Revis, and Revis said yes. Cousins’ response: “No, you’re not.” Revis insisted he was and then became “irate” and “began waving his hands in his face, telling him to get out of his face.” Cousins told police Revis pushed him and started walking away.
* Cousins began recording video on his cell phone, to capture what Revis was wearing and his actions. Revis responded by snatching Cousins’ cell phone and throwing it into the street, in Pittsburgh’s popular South Side bar district, when Cousins tried to get it back.
* Then another man showed up, Cousins told police. From the police complaint, written by officer Anthony Burke: “The next thing [Cousins] remembers was getting punched and then waking up to talk to police.” Jones, Revis’ attorney, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “As far as I know, there was another person there. I’m not saying Darrelle hit those guys.” The second man’s identity remains unclear.
* Where does Jarvis come in? He told police he also attempted to get Cousins’ phone back from Revis, and also was knocked unconscious. No other details were provided in the police complaint about Jarvis’ involvement.
* Another Cousins friend, witness Nathan Watt, was confronted by Revis after Cousins and Jarvis were hit, according to Watt’s account to police. Revis had his fists clenched and stepped within a foot of Watt, saying, “I got more guys coming. Do you want to be next?” Soon thereafter, Revis and the unknown male fled the scene, Watt told police.
The video on Cousins’ cell phone, obtained by Officer Burke, confirmed that Revis had been involved, but it is unclear to what degree.
Conflicting stories have emerged regarding the nature of the altercation.
Jones claims that Revis is the one who was assaulted by a “drunk guy who was flexing his beer muscles” while Revis was in the area at 2:30 in the morning simply to look at some property he’s “in the process of developing.”
#BREAKING Darrelle Revis' attorney issues statement: "Mr Revis was physically assaulted by a group of at least 5 people". #WTAE
— Andrew Stockey (@astockeyWTAE) February 16, 2017
“He was not the aggressor that night. He was 1,000 percent the victim,” Jones said. “He tried to retreat. He did everything in his power to try to get this situation to die down, to de-escalate this situation that the other group started. Darrelle was by himself when he was physically assaulted by one of the men, and unfortunately, at what point in time do you say enough is enough?”
When asked if Revis threw any punches, Jones said, “All I can tell you is that if any punches were thrown, they were thrown in self-defense, but Darrelle did not initiate any of the physical contact. Do you think Darrelle Revis would go down to the South Side and start throwing punches?”
Revis had come to Pittsburgh for a visit with family and friends, and he went to the South Side to look at a property that he is in the process of developing, Jones said.
Jones said Revis also sought medical attention following the incident but did not offer details of the extent of the injuries he may have sustained.
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