NEW ORLEANS (AP) - An attorney for former NFL star Darren Sharper said Friday that there is no evidence to support an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman in New Orleans last September.
Nandi (nahn-dee) Campbell said that her investigation shows the woman in the complaint followed Sharper willingly throughout the evening. And, Campbell stressed that the ex-Saints safety has not been charged in the New Orleans complaint.
Asked for information on the Sharper investigation, New Orleans police Friday released a brief report.
It said the unidentified woman said she was assaulted by a man who took her to his apartment the night of Sept. 23 after she consumed a large amount of alcohol. The report does not name Sharper, but Campbell confirmed that he is the man in the report.
Campbell noted that the complaint said the woman had said she consumed a large amount of alcohol. Campbell said in an interview that her own investigation turned up witnesses who saw the woman that evening.
“There were numerous witnesses who observed the complainant on her own and also observed her after encountering Sharper,” Campbell said in a statement. “Certain witnesses observed Sharper mingling with various patrons and observed the complainant follow him willingly throughout the evening.”
Police say the investigation remains open. The New Orleans complaint came to light last week after Sharper was arrested in Los Angeles on a suspicion of rape charge that is not related to the Louisiana case. He has a Feb. 14 court appearance scheduled. Campbell said she did not know who he had hired to defend him in the Los Angeles case.
Sharper, 38, played in the NFL from 1997-2010, mostly with the Packers. He retired after the 2010 season. He was selected All-Pro six times and chosen for the Pro Bowl five times. He played in two Super Bowls, one with the Packers as a rookie and a second with the Saints.
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