NYC Trial Starts for NBA Player, Thabo Sefolosha, Charged in Clash With Police

Opening statements are set to begin in the trial of a professional basketball player charged with resisting arrest and other crimes following a confrontation with police officers outside a trendy Manhattan nightclub in April.

The Atlanta Hawks' Thabo Sefolosha, who suffered a season-ending leg fracture in the struggle, has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which also include misdemeanor obstructing government administration and disorderly conduct. He has rejected a plea offer from prosecutors and his attorney, Alex Spiro, has said his client is going to trial to clear his name.

A jury of four women and two men was picked Monday in Manhattan Criminal Court. Opening statements start Tuesday.

The case stems from an early-morning struggle outside the 1Oak Club in Chelsea shortly after the stabbing of Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland, his girlfriend and another woman. It was then that the 30-year-old guard-forward ignored six separate orders to move away from the crime scene, charged at another officer and then flailed his arms and twisted his legs while being placed under arrest, according to a criminal complaint.

During jury selection, Spiro said that while his client, a Swiss national, may have been "mouthy" and "fresh" in his dealings with officers after the stabbing, no crime had been committed. He also suggested race played a role in his client's arrest.

"Are you all willing to understand that we're all swayed at some level by implicit racial biases," he asked potential jurors.

Six police officers will be called as witnesses for the prosecution, an assistant district attorney, Francesca Bartolomey, said Monday. Spiro had sought to review the personnel records of five officers involved in incident but the judge, Robert Mandelbau, denied that motion.

Charges against another Hawks' player involved in the confrontation, Pero Antic, have been dropped.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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