Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson pushed his girlfriend down a flight of stairs then slammed her head into the bottom concrete step after an early morning spat, New York prosecutors said Monday.
Stephenson was released without bail late on Sunday after being charged with assault, harassment and menacing in connection with the 5 a.m. confrontation at the Brooklyn apartment home of Jasmine Williams.
Police said Stephenson, 19, was waiting when Williams returned home with two friends and that after the incident she was treated for head and neck injuries.
A criminal complaint detailed that Stephenson followed Williams down the stairs and slammed her head into the step, although police said Stephenson told them she hit her head on the stairs when she fell.
Indiana Pacers director of basketball operations Larry Bird said on Monday that the news was disturbing, especially after the team had sent away players who in past seasons had been involved in run-ins with police.
"The news of Lance Stephenson?s arrest is very disappointing to the Pacers franchise and to me personally," Bird said. "We've worked very hard to bring in players that are excellent representatives of our franchise, community and both on and off the court.
"Our commitment to this goal is too strong to permit the actions of one individual to reverse all of the positive strides that have been made as a franchise over the last couple years or to hurt the image of the rest of the players on our team."
Bird said the organization "will not condone behaviour that reflects poorly on this franchise and community."
"We are continuing to gather all of the facts regarding Lance?s arrest but regardless of the outcome of the investigation, Lance should not have put himself in the position he was in early Sunday morning," Bird said.
"We have consistently emphasized to our players the importance of not putting themselves in situations where bad things can happen.
"Once all the facts are known we will deal appropriately with Lance so that he, the team and the entire Pacers community understands that this message cannot be ignored."
Stephenson, a high school star who played one year at the University of Cincinnati, was selected 40th by Indiana in the second round of June's NBA Draft and signed a contract with the club last month.
Stephenson led the NBA Orlando summer league shooting accuracy, hitting 73 percent of his shots, and averaged nearly 15 points a game for the Pacers in the off-season matchups of prospects fighting for roster spots.
Copyright 2010 AFP American Edition
