Las Vegas strip club bouncer sues 'Pacman' Jones over melee, shooting |
By RYAN NAKASHIMA, Associated Press Writer
June 25, 2007
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A bouncer who was shot and said his left ankle was bitten by Adam "Pacman" Jones in a strip club melee sued the suspended NFL player and other members of his entourage for damages Monday.
The suit for an unspecified amount was filed with the Clark County District Court on behalf of Aaron Cudworth three days after the Tennessee Titans cornerback surrendered in Las Vegas on two felony charges of coercion and posted $20,000 in bail.
Facts about the Feb. 19 melee and shooting, which paralyzed another strip club bouncer and wounded one other person, were confirmed in charges that the district attorney filed against Jones on Wednesday, said Cudworth's lawyer, Richard Schonfeld.
"When they made their filing, it confirmed what I was looking for," Schonfeld said. The civil case can proceed independently of the criminal trial, he said.
Jones' Las Vegas attorney Robert Langford said he had not seen the suit and declined comment late Monday. A message left after business hours at the Atlanta office of one of Jones' attorneys, Manny Arora, wasn't immediately returned.
The melee at Minxx Gentleman's Club during NBA All-Star weekend was sparked after Jones threw cash from a plastic trash bag on stage to "make it rain" for dancers as tips, according to the suit.
When two dancers began to fight over the cash at about 4:30 a.m., Jones grabbed one by the hair and punched her in the face two or three times, the suit says.
Cudworth wrapped his arms around Jones from behind, but let go when the club manager was escorting Jones outside. Jones jumped back on stage, vowing not to leave, cursing Cudworth and threatening to kill him, the suit says.
After Cudworth again tried to restrain Jones, the suit says he was knocked over by Jones' 400-pound bodyguard, Robert Reid, 37, of Compton, Calif. Jones took a swing at Cudworth, who restrained Jones, the suit says. That's when Jones bit Cudworth on the ankle, according to the suit.
Jones escaped, and when Cudworth pursued him, Sadia Morrison, 25, of New York, allegedly smashed a champagne bottle over the bouncer's head, cutting him.
Cudworth finally forced Jones outside, where he says Jones threatened to shoot him and acted as if he was reaching for a weapon in his waistband. The suit says a witness heard Jones tell another member of his group, "Let's smoke this fool."
Later, the suit alleges that a member of Jones' group fired a black semiautomatic handgun five or six times toward Cudworth, hitting him in the chest and left arm, causing permanent injury. Another bouncer, Thomas Urbanski, was shot in the left hand and the torso, and was left paralyzed from the waist down. A female club patron was wounded in the head.
Cudworth is suing Jones, Reid, Morrison and others for assault, battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Schonfeld said Cudworth underwent "multiple surgeries" and lost wages as a result.
Jones, 23, who has been suspended by the NFL for the 2007 season, is scheduled to return to Las Vegas on July 23 to face criminal charges that carry a maximum of 12 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if he is convicted.
