NFL investigating Pacman Jones
The NFL has begun investigating what role Tennessee Titans cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones may have played in a shooting in Las Vegas last weekend that left one person paralyzed.
It's an investigation that could ultimately lead to harsh penalties from the NFL, if not from the law.
"We are certainly looking into it. That's standard procedure," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. "Other than that, we have no comment."
Titans coach Jeff Fisher also declined to comment on the situation.
NFL security officials became aware of the situation on Monday morning after being contacted by Las Vegas police. In turn, the NFL contacted the Titans, who eventually contacted Jones on Monday night.
If Jones, who has a long history of troubled behavior, is found to have participated in the event, he could face severe penalties from the NFL under the personal conduct policy.
In addition, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw said last month that they are extremely concerned with the recent conduct of NFL players.
That stance could raise the likelihood of Jones facing sanctions from the league. Jones, who has not been arrested in this incident, has been charged three times in relation to crimes since being drafted as the No. 6 overall pick in 2005.
According to a report in Wednesday's Las Vegas Journal-Review, Jones was in Las Vegas for the NBA All-Star festivities. Jones and an entourage of a half-dozen people attended a strip club in the city.
The visit ended with three people shot by a person that the co-owner of the club said was with Jones. One of the three victims was left paralyzed, according to the Journal-Review.
According to the report, the incident was precipitated by Jones going on stage at the strip club and tossing hundreds of $1 bills in the air.
As strippers rushed to collect the money, Jones allegedly became angry, grabbed one of them by the hair and drove her head into the stage. A fight ensued, and as Jones and his entourage began to leave, a person in the entourage reportedly began shooting.
Jones' attorney denied that Jones knew the shooter, but a co-owner of the club said Jones came and left with the shooter.
"He denied any knowledge of the shooter, but he was sitting right next to him," club co-owner Robert Susnar told the Review-Journal. "Those guys came in together and left together."
Susnar also did a lengthy radio interview in which he described Jones' conduct.
