Former Thunder player acquitted of all charges after arrest outside nightclub

NEW YORK – A former Oklahoma City Thunder player who was charged with resisting arrest in New York City in April has been found not guilty.

In April, Thabo Sefolosha was arrested following a fight and stabbing at a New York City nightclub.

While he wasn’t involved in the initial fight, Sefolosha was arrested on obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Officers said the former Thunder player, who currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks, interfered with officers who were trying to establish a crime scene.

Sefolosha testified that he was told to leave the area around the nightclub by officers, so he moved off the block. Sefolosha says he exchanged words with a confrontational officer.

According to ESPN, he says he was trying to give a panhandler a $20 bill when he was grabbed by officers and taken to the ground.

Sefolosha suffered a fractured right leg from the incident.

“They arrested him,” Alex Spiro, Sefolosha’s attorney said in court. “They broke his leg out of eyeshot or earshot of an unrelated crime scene.”

However, officers say he acted entitled and was moving slowly as he left the nightclub.

“The police don’t get to tell the defendant how to play basketball,” Francesca Bartolomey, an assistant district attorney, said. “The defendant doesn’t get to say where the crime scene ends.”

A jury acquitted Sefolosha of all charges on Friday.