VIDEO: NBA Guard Sefolosha's Leg Broken in Arrest by NYPD

By Des Bieler, The Washington Post

11 April 15

ALSO SEE: Hawks Teammates Say Arrest Was Not Their Fault, Plan to Fight Charges

tlanta’s Thabo Sefolosha literally added a major injury to the insult of being photographed doing a “perp walk” following his arrest Wednesday morning. Sometime during a confrontation with police outside of a New York nightclub, the Hawks swingman suffered a broken leg, ending his season.

Sefolosha and teammate Pero Antic were arrested for obstructing a crime scene, after an incident in which the Pacers’ Chris Copeland was stabbed and two other people were wounded. Copeland is in stable condition after surgery on his abdomen and left elbow.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a police report indicates that the 30-year-old Sefolosha came at police in an “aggressive manner.” From the AJC:

Police officer Johnpaul Giancona wrote: “When I approached the defendant to place him under arrest for the above described conduct, I observed the defendant flail his arms, twist his body, kick his legs, and struggle against me making it difficult for me to place handcuffs on him and complete the arrest. It took four officers to place the defendant in handcuffs.”

Later on Wednesday, Sefolosha and Antic, who were charged with three misdemeanors altogether, issued this joint statement:

“As members of the Atlanta Hawks, we hold ourselves to a high standard and take our roles as professionals very seriously. We will contest these charges and look forward to communicating the facts of the situation at the appropriate time. We apologize to our respective families, teammates, and the Hawks organization for any negative attention this incident has brought upon them. We are unable to provide further comment as this is an ongoing legal matter.”

Thursday evening, the NBA released a statement saying that Sefolosha had a “fractured fibula and ligament damage that will require surgery” on his right leg. His loss is a blow to the Hawks, as the first-place team eyes a lengthy playoff run.

Sefolosha was averaging 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18.8 minutes this season. His real value to Atlanta was on the defensive end, where the 6-5 guard/forward was a top perimeter defender.

“This is a very difficult situation for Thabo and our thoughts and support will be with him during his recovery. We know that his approach and dedication will serve him well in his rehabilitation,” Hawks Coach Mike Budenholzer said in a statement. “Our team remains focused and will be prepared as we head into the postseason.”