Matt Barnes claims he was attacked, defending himself in nightclub incident
Matt Barnes has been accused of choking a woman and assaulting two others at a nightclub early Monday morning, but the NBA veteran insists he was the victim in the incident.
A representative for Barnes told TMZ that the 36-year-old was minding his business with Sacramento Kings teammate DeMarcus Cousins at Avenue Nightclub when he accidentally “butt bumped” a woman who was at the VIP booth next to his. Barnes claims the woman become upset and slapped him in the face, at which point a fight broke out.
According to Barnes, several men who were with the woman knocked him to the ground and one of the men began to choke him. He says he got physical only to protect himself, and Cousins intervened to help break things up. A video that was taken after the alleged incident shows Cousins talking about what happened. You can see the footage here.
Barnes, who was wanted by authorities for questioning, says he took photos of his injuries to prove he was attacked. His attorney insists no crime was committed and that no charges will be filed.
