Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Washington Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth has been charged with simple assault in Virginia. Police say he threw a punch at a fellow motorist Wednesday in a Washington, D.C., suburb.
Fairfax County authorities told The Washington Post that Haynesworth, 29, plans to turn himself in next week through his attorney. But Haynesworth’s agent, Chad Speck, said Friday the player had yet to speak to police or prosecutors.
Haynesworth allegedly threw a punch to the nose of Joel Velazques, 38, of Lessburg, Va.
Velazques told ESPN that after their vehicles jockeyed for road space in Reston, Va., a person he recognized as Haynesworth got out of a Ford 150 truck with Tennessee license plates and confronted Velazques and punched him in the nose before taking off.
Speck said the allegations are false.
“Only one side of this story has been told at this point in time,” Speck said. “If contacted by the authorities, Albert will certainly cooperate in any way.”
A Redskins executive told The Post the team had not heard about the incident or pending charges.
“This is the first I’m hearing about this,” Tony Wyllie, Redskins senior vice president, told the Washington newspaper in a phone interview from Dallas, where he was attending Super Bowl events with owner Daniel Snyder. “At this time, we need to gather information.”
Velazques said he followed Haynesworth but lost him along the way, but he did call 911, Fairfax County police eventually were called, and Velazques gave a statement to them.
“This man, who actually provoked the situation himself, recognized Albert and is now simply trying to turn it into his 15 minutes of fame and get, we can only assume, some money,” Speck said. “Albert did not assault this man and looks forward to his day in court to refute these ridiculous allegations.”
Velazques said Haynesworth came to the driver-side window of his car, and after Velazques rolled down his window, Haynesworth said to him twice, “You’re not so tough now,” and then punched him in the side of his nose.
Velazques said he was treated at a local hospital, where it was determined he suffered a contusion to his nose but it was not broken.
Officer Shelley Broderick told The Post the driver of a 19994 Honda Civic reportedly issued a “non-verbal hand gesture” to a pickup driver behind him before the two stopped for a light at an intersection at about 9:16 a.m. The Honda driver had thought the pickup was tailgaiting, Broderick told the newspaper.
