Lindsey ThiryESPN
An attorney filed a criminal complaint against Los Angeles Rams pass-rusher Aaron Donald with Pittsburgh police on Wednesday, saying the defensive tackle and others assaulted his 26-year-old client at an after-hours club last weekend.
Attorney Todd J. Hollis said his client, De’Vincent Spriggs, needed 16 stitches and suffered a broken orbital bone, a broken nose, a concussion and a sprained or broken arm. The alleged attack occurred around 3 a.m. Sunday, Hollis said, and the attorney released a photo that showed Spriggs with facial injuries and swelling.
According to Hollis, Spriggs inadvertently bumped into Donald and an incident ensued inside the Boom Boom Room nightclub that caused both parties to be asked to leave.
“When they got outside, Mr. Donald approached Mr. Spriggs and Mr. Spriggs was punched and attacked, again allegedly, by Mr. Donald and the individuals that were a part of his group,” Hollis told ESPN.
Hollis said his client provided information to Pittsburgh police about the incident on Wednesday.
Pittsburgh police said that detectives are reviewing the complaint and video footage and are consulting with the District Attorney’s office to determine whether charges are warranted.
The NFL said it would “look into the matter to understand the facts” but had no additional comment. The Rams released a statement saying they are aware of the alleged incident involving Donald, who is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time Pro Bowl selection with 85.5 career sacks.
“We are collecting more information and will have no further comment at this time,” the Rams’ statement said.
Donald, 29, is a Pittsburgh native and was a star college player at Pitt, where he often trains during the offseason. He also has several charitable endeavors in the area.
The Rams selected Donald with the 13th overall pick in the 2014 draft. He is in the midst of a six-year, $135 million extension.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
