Former Browns DL Walcott claims self-defense

Former Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Ausar Walcott claims he acted in self-defense when he punched a man outside a New Jersey bar in June that severely injured him, the Bergen County (N.J.) Record reported.

Walcott, 23, was cut by the Browns a day after he was charged with attempted murder for allegedly critically injuring the 24-year-old man outside the Palace Gentleman's Club in Passaic on June 23.

Walcott's attorney, Miles Feinstein, wrote in a certification to support a motion to reduce Walcott's $500,000 bail he and his friends were surrounded by 10 to 20 men who made threatening comments to them.

Feinstein added that one of Walcott's friends was punched for no reason and that Walcott tried to avoid fighting but threw one punch after being accosted.

The alleged victim, Derrick Jones, has since been released from Harlem Hospital Center in New York. He was in critical condition with a serious head injury.

Walcott turned himself into police and was charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree aggravated assault and third-degree endangering an injured victim. He was sent to the Passaic County jail in Paterson, N.J.

Walcott, an undrafted free agent, signed with the Browns in May after a tryout. He was released by the team following the arrest.

While at Virginia, Walcott was suspended from the team after he was involved in a fight but later reinstated when the charges were dropped.