Jason Pierre-Paul could be on the verge of understanding exactly what it means to have insult added to injury.
On Tuesday, law enforcement officials told Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com that the Coral Springs (Fla.) Police Department is investigating the fireworks accident that left Pierre-Paul injured over the 4th of July weekend. Depending on what police discover, Pierre-Paul could face charges that include criminal possession of fireworks.
Most fireworks are illegal in the state of Florida, including anything that shoots into the air or explodes. Investigators are reportedly working to determine what “specific fireworks” Pierre-Paul was using and have reached out to his agents in an attempt to meet with the 26-year-old defensive end.
Shortly before Pierre-Paul injured his hand on Saturday night, he shared a video on Instagram that showed him getting all excited next to a U-Haul van. A photo from a woman who claimed to be JPP’s neighbor appeared to show that the van was filled with fireworks. Both the video and photo have since been deleted.
Police aren’t certain where the fireworks were lit, but a complaint from a Coral Springs resident has led authorities to believe that Pierre-Paul may have discharged them at a Coral Springs home that belongs to a family member of the New York Giants star.
In reality, Pierre-Paul was allegedly doing what millions of other Americans were doing over the weekend, though he obviously didn’t go about it in a safe manner.
It’s already looking like JPP could miss the start of the regular season and could have some contract issues with the Giants. Will authorities tack on a criminal charge, or will an injured hand and these embarrassing memes be punishment enough? We’ll soon find out.
UPDATE: Coral Springs Police say they spoke to Pierre-Paul and the incident occurred outside their jurisdiction, so he will not be facing charges.
