Seattle Seahawks defensive end Aldon Smith is wanted for allegedly committing second-degree battery.
An arrest warrant was issued after the NFL player reportedly choked a victim unconscious on Saturday during a confrontation inside a coffee shop in Chalmette, Louisiana, ESPN reported, citing St. Bernard Parish District Attorney Perry Nicosia.
In a statement, St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office noted that deputies responding to a call for medical assistance arrived at the scene to discover a man said he had been assaulted by an acquaintance later identified as Smith.
The St. Bernard Parish District Attorney's office said that the alleged victim suffered "severe injuries" and that a state court judge had signed an arrest warrant. Nicosia said the victim had been taken to hospital but was not kept overnight.
According to a wanted bulletin from the St. Bernard Parish sheriff, shared by WDSU, Smith does not have a local address but has relatives in New Orleans.
"We are aware of the reports regarding Aldon Smith," a Seahawks spokesperson said Monday in a statement. "Aldon notified us and we are gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time."
Smith has been suspended multiple times by the NFL for drug-related offenses and personal misconduct violations. He was out of the league from 2016 to 2019 and reinstated in 2020. After a one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys, he joined the Seahawks Thursday.
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