Today’s Outside the Lines presented new information of Adam “Pacman” Jones’ involvement in a June 2007 suburban-Atlanta strip-club dispute that ended in a shooting. John Barr’s report included allegations that Jones arranged for a reputed gang member to carry out the shooting. This shooting happened as Jones was serving a season-long suspension for his role in a fight and shooting at a Las Vegas strip club four months earlier.
Outside the Lines reported that the gang member, who witnesses say arranged for the shooting near Club Blaze in suburban Atlanta, is the same man who Jones had accused of extorting money from him in connection with the Las Vegas shooting. OTL identified the gang member as Edward “Slugga” Morris, whom Atlanta police have charged with three murders unrelated to either the Las Vegas or Club Blaze shootings.
In an exclusive jailhouse interview, Morris told OTL that he and Jones are friends, and that Jones concocted the extortion story so the NFL would re-instate him in 2008. At the time of the Las Vegas and Atlanta-area shootings, Jones was a cornerback for the Tennessee Titans. He joined the Dallas Cowboys for the 2008 season and was re-instated by Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The Cowboys cut Jones Wednesday, only hours after OTL asked the team and the league for comments on its report. In April 2007, when Jones received his season-long suspension, the NFL warned him that his involvement in any more criminal incidents could mean the end of his NFL career.
A version of today’s Outside the Lines will air tonight on SportsCenter shows. It will also re-air tomorrow (Monday) on Outside the Lines First Report at 3 p.m. on ESPN. To watch the report, click: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3825329&categoryid=3286128
From Today’s Outside the Lines
John Bar interviewed the driver of the truck shot at outside suburban Atlanta’s Club Blaze, a retired police officer who asked only to be identified as Darian by OTL:
John Barr: “Is there any doubt in your mind that Pacman Jones sent the men to shoot you?”
Darian: “No doubt.”
“I turned around to Pacman Jones (in Atlanta’s Club Blaze), and he obviously was offended how I turned around, ‘cause, you know, I turned around like, ‘Who are you talking too?’ you know? That’s when he put his hands down in his pants and said, ‘I’ll kill you and everybody else in this club.’” – Darian’s friend, who asked to be identified as Doug
“I heard Pacman say, ‘I don’t care who you all are, who you all is, I kill all y’all.” – “Darian’s” nephew, who asked not to be identified, on Pacman in Atlanta’s Club Blaze
“He’s lying…. I know it ain’t true… Why would I tell that to a friend? … I think he’s trying to play football.” — Edward “Slugga” Morris, on why Jones would tell police that Morris extorted and threatened him.
“Do you simply look for the persons alleged to have done a shooting? Or do you look for the person who is alleged to have ordered the shooting, paid for the shooting?” – Derek Wright, Morris’ attorney, on the police investigation into the Club Blaze shooting.
Adam “Pacman” Jones denies part in shooting
In an interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith aired on “Outside the Lines,” Adam “Pacman” Jones denied allegations by three Atlanta-area men that Jones arranged for someone to shoot at them in 2007 after an altercation at a strip club. To watch Jones’ interview with Smith,
click: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3825253&categoryid=3286128
Stephen A. Smith: “Let’s get right down to it. June 18th of last year, 2007, reports allege that you went to Club Blaze in Atlanta. I guess the first question that comes to mind is you were already suspended just two months earlier. The NFL handed down a suspension April 10th. A lot of people would ask, what are you doing at a strip club two months later?”
Adam “Pacman” Jones: “That’s old news, man. I’m saying, I already explained this stuff. The commissioner knew about it. The Cowboys knew about it. I’ve done everything they asked me to do since then. I served my suspension for going to the strip club since then …
“I really don’t have nothing to say about that situation. That was two years ago, man. Yeah, I did go to the strip club which I shouldn’t have been in. Which, I haven’t been in since then.”
Smith: “I have an obligation to look to you in the face and talk to you about “Outside the Lines” and the report that they’re airing … Allegedly, three men claimed they had an exchange with you, Adam “Pacman” Jones, in the club that night. And that you made death threats. Quote, ‘I’ll kill you and everybody else in this club.’”
Jones: “No.”
Smith: “Period? Never happened?”
Jones: “No.”
Smith: “But putting it out there plain as day, did you get into anything with anybody that night at club blaze? Did you have an argument with anybody in the strip club? Were you fussing or fighting with anybody?”
Jones: “I wasn’t fussing or fighting with nobody. I might have had a word with somebody. You’ve seen the video. All you have to do is look at the video. You all are good detectives. Look at the video it will tell you.”
