The good folks at WEEI in Boston are pouncing on the allegation that Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather fired a bullet that struck two people in Apopka, Florida on February 27.As Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe pointed out to us via Twitter, two men arrived at a local hospital on the morning on February 28 with gunshot wounds. Though some will be inclined to dismiss the allegations based on the fact that the men didn’t want to press charges, we all know by now that some folks who have survived a shooting aren’t immediately inclined to point fingers at the shooter, for fear of being shot again at a later date — and having a more dire outcome. (Dwight Dixon, anyone?)
The question becomes whether Meriweather fired the gun. Lawyer John Morgan joined The Dennis & Callahan Show on WEEI this morning to discuss the allegation that Meriweather pulled the trigger.
Morgan says that the two men reached out to his firm, and that they claim Meriweather fired the shots. Morgan acknowledged that he has “a lot of doubt” about whether Meriweather pulled the trigger, but Morgan explained that his clients, who went to high school with Meriweather, believe that Meriweather was the shooter.
“I assume nothing to be true until we get an investigation completed,” Morgan said.
Of course, Morgan later said that he currently assumes that what his clients are telling him is true. So he’s assuming something before the investigation is finished.
Morgan also said that police have “had this case for two weeks,” and that if Meriweather has an alibi or a clear defense, he should be saying so publicly and loudly.
Morgan explained that the local authorities aren’t saying much about the situation, but he’s confident that police are investigating the situation.
Morgan was asked whether he’ll drop the case if he finds out that Meriweather wasn’t the shooter. “Hell yes,” he said.
It may not be so easy for Morgan to wash his hands and walk away, if that ends up being the case. Morgan publicly has said that his clients believe Meriweather fired the shot. If Meriweather didn’t, someone has defamed Meriweather, and he’d have legal rights against the alleged victims.
Or possibly against Morgan himself.
Either way, and as our corporate goombah Tom Curran of CSNNE.com points out, Meriweather has been involved in a prior gun incident. “While at the University of Miami, Meriweather returned fire at assailants who shot his then-teammate Willie Cooper in the buttocks,” Curran writes. “Meriweather had a permit for the gun and it was determined he acted in self-defense.”
Whether he acted in self-defense or otherwise in this case remains to be seen, and it’s safe to say that plenty of details will be emerging.
source: profootballtalk.nbcsports
author: mike florio
No comments:
Post a Comment