Ex-brown faces murder-try rap
AUSAR Walcott may not be as famous as Aaron Hernandez, but he’s in a lot of trouble, too.
The Cleveland Browns’ rookie linebacker turned himself in to Passaic (N.J.) police on Tuesday night to face charges of attempted murder.
Walcott, who is from Hackensack, allegedly punched Derrick Jones, 24, in the head outside The Palace Gentleman’s Club early on Sunday morning. Jones, who lives in Manhattan, was rushed to Harlem Hospital Center. Jones remained hospitalized and in critical condition on Wednesday, authorities said.
Hernandez, the former Patriots tight end, was charged with murder on Wednesday in New England.
Walcott is being charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree aggravated assault and third-degree endangering a victim, according to Passaic police. The investigation into the matter is ongoing, and police said they are “continuing to canvas the area for witnesses.”
Walcott had his initial court appearance at the Passaic County Courthouse on Wednesday.
According to the Passaic County Sheriff’s office, Walcott, 23, is being held at the Passaic County Jail on $500,000 bail, pending a bail source hearing ordered by Judge Raymond Reddin.
The Browns cut Walcott Wednesday afternoon, one day after saying they were “aware of the situation.” Cleveland had signed Walcott, a former Hackensack High School football star, in mid-May as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Virginia.
This wasn’t Walcott’s first run-in with the law. In January of 2011, he and two Virginia teammates were reportedly arrested after an altercation at James Madison University. Walcott faced charges for assault and battery. He was suspended from the Virginia football team, although he was reinstated when the charges were dropped.
The 230-pound linebacker is the 28th NFL player to be arrested since Feb. 3, according to a database maintained by the San Diego Union-Tribune.