Report Claims Brandon Marshall 'Slugged' Woman In Nightclub Brawl
UPDATED 03/14/12 7:50 a.m.
NEW YORK (CBS) -- The day after the Bears acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Miami Dolphins, reports have surfaced that he "slugged" a woman at a New York nightclub.
The Bears said they knew about the incident, but decided to move forward Tuesday with the trade to acquire Marshall.
The New York Post reported Wednesday morning that Marshall got into an argument early Sunday with a group of friends celebrating a birthday, at the Marquee nightclub in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.
Around 3 a.m. Chicago time, Christin Myles, 24, who was the one celebrating her birthday, came down from an upper floor of the nightclub to greet a friend, but wasn't immediately let back upstairs because Marshall and another unspecified football player had gotten into an argument and were being kicked out, the Post reported.
Myles and her friends later began arguing with Marshall and the other football player outside, and Marshall "cold-cocked Myles in the left eye," the Post reported. It was not clear if Marshall was going for Myles or somebody else, the newspaper reported.
Myles filed a police report on Monday, telling the NYPD she hesitated because she was nervous about Marshall's high profile, the Post reported.
Marshall disputes the New York Post account, and says through his attorney that his wife, Michi-Nogami Marshall, was actually injured in a fight that had nothing to do with him.
The Miami Sun-Sentinel reports Marshall could be questioned in connection by police with the fight.
The Bears confirmed Wednesday morning that they knew about the alleged incident before negotiating the trade Tuesday, as did the Dolphins.
"Both the Bears and Dolphins were aware of what occurred over the weekend," Emery said in the statement. "We decided to move forward with the trade. We have high expectations for Brandon as a Bear."
A statement issued by Marshall's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, says Marshall and his wife had gone to a local club after serving as the keynote speaker at a charitable event in New York, and a fight broke out that had nothing to do with Marshall or his friends.
"While attempting to leave to avoid the melee Mrs. Marshall was struck in the face by a thrown bottle. She suffered serious injury," Steinberg said in the statement. "While attempting to leave and take his wife to the hospital, the mayhem continued outside. Finally Mr. Marshall was able to take his wife to the hospital where she was treated for serious injuries."
The statement made no mention of Myles allegedly being slugged.
In exchange for Marshall, the Bears gave up a third-round pick in this year's NFL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Marshall has 494 catches and 34 touchdowns in his six-year NFL career. He played with Bears quarterback Jay Cutler in Denver from 2006-08, catching 102 passes for 1,325 yards in 2007 and 104 passes for 1,265 yards in 2008.
His 6,247 receiving yards are seventh in the NFL since he joined the league in 2006 and his 494 receptions during that time are eighth in the NFL.
