Report: Police close to arresting Matt Barnes for alleged assault

Police are close to making an arrest of Matt Barnes for his alleged assault of a woman at a nightclub in New York early Monday, according to a report.

The New York Daily News’ Graham Rayman reports the news and says Barnes is likely to be charged for misdemeanor assault, while teammate DeMarcus Cousins would likely avoid charges.

Barnes is accused of choking a woman at Avenue Nightclub and hitting two others who intervened. Barnes defended himself this week, saying he was attacked and acted in self-defense. He said Cousins only jumped in to help defend him.

Police have been viewing footage from the brawl and interviewing witnesses to determine what happened, which is why their follow-up actions have taken some time.

In the meantime, a woman and her boyfriend have filed a federal lawsuit against Barnes and Cousins for the injuries they say they sustained at the hands of the basketball players and members of their entourage.

The Sacramento Kings were in New York on Sunday for a game against the Knicks, which they lost. The players went out to the club later that evening.