Former Knicks player Chris Copeland, who now plays for the Pacers, his wife friend Katrine Saltara (early reports characterized Saltara as Copeland's wife but the two aren't married), and another woman, identified as Catherine Somani, were reportedly stabbed outside of the New York City nightclub 1 OAK early Wednesday morning.
According to police sources who spoke with the New York Post, Copeland, 31, and Saltara, 28, were arguing outside of 1 OAK at around 4 a.m. when a 22-year-old man named Shezoy Bleary approached the couple and said something to them. Copeland reportedly told the man to leave them alone, and the suspect responded by pulling out a knife and stabbing Copeland in the stomach. He then stabbed Saltara in the breast, buttocks, and arm before turning the knife on Somani, 53, and stabbing her in the abdomen. The New York Daily News is reporting that Somani and Bleary are friends.
Here's a video obtained by TMZ Sports that shows the aftermath of the incident. Just a warning, it contains some NSFW language:
A short time after the stabbings took place, Copeland and Saltara were rushed to NYC's Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, while Somani was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital. Bleary was arrested on the scene. And in a bizarre twist to the story, two Hawks players Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha—who played against the Suns in Atlanta on Tuesday night before flying to NYC for a game against the Nets tonight—were arrested as well for refusing to leave the crime scene.
The New York Post is reporting that Antic was charged with obstructing governmental administration, disorderly conduct, and menacing. Meanwhile, Sefolosha was charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, and disorderly conduct.
It's still unclear what caused the stabbing to take place or why Antic and Sefolosha were involved. But we'll be sure to provide you with more details as they become available.
UPDATE:
Larry Bird and the Pacers have released a statement:
They've also provided an update on Copeland's status:
UPDATE 2:
More details about the stabbing have been released. According to Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling, Copeland sustained a broken elbow during this morning's altercation:
UPDATE 3:
Antic and Sefolosha made an appearance in court today:
According to The New York Times, the Hawks players got physical with police officers after they were asked to leave the scene.
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[via New York Post]
