Anthony Edwards has been cited for two cases of third-degree assault after the Timberwolves were eliminated by the Nuggets in Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs. According to reports, Edwards was involved in a postgame incident that required the Denver Police to get involved.
A report from Denver Sports indicates that the incident occurred after Edwards missed the potential game-tying shot. As he ran toward Minnesota's locker room, he picked up a chair in the tunnel area and threw it, allegedly striking two women working at Ball Arena.
Cameras captured Edwards' run to the locker room and based on video footage, it would appear that he unintentionally struck the two employees.
Via the video that was included in this report, looks like the contact was unintentional from Edwards — picking up a chair and tossing it to the floor while running to the tunnel.
— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) April 26, 2023
The article said two staff members were “injured” and asked to press charges against Edwards. https://t.co/f7kdF8eUyh pic.twitter.com/wqMNyGv9SP
Denver Police say that the women involved sustained injuries that were not deemed serious. Both women asked to file charges.
The report also shares that as a result of the incident, the Timberwolves team bus was held up postgame in order for Denver Police to cite Edwards.
The Sporting News will continue to provide updates on this developing legal situation.
Timberwolves statement on Anthony Edwards
In response to the reports surrounding the incident involving Edwards, the Timberwolves issued the following statement:
We are aware of the alleged incident regarding Anthony Edwards following Game 5 in Denver and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this moment.
Anthony Edwards' legal statement
In response to the allegations, attorney Harvey Steinberg provided Turner Sports with a statement on behalf of Edwards.
With the game over, Anthony's exit fromt he court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later. As video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone. Despite these innocent facts, the Denver Police Department inexplicably chose to charge Anthony with two counts of misdemeanor assault. Anthony intends to vigorously defend against these baseless charges.
What is a Colorado third-degree assault charge?
Per Colorado law, third-degree assault is committed "when an individual knowingly, by way of negligence, or recklessly causes another person to suffer bodily injury, typically using a deadly weapon.
"A 'deadly weapon' can refer to a gun or knife but sometimes regular items like a rock or belt."
According to Denver Sports, a third-degree assault carries the punishment of up to 18 months in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. The charge is a class-1 misdemeanor.
