PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Detroit Lions fan who was punched and kicked by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf during a game denied accusations that he used a racial slur, his attorney said in a statement Monday.
A law firm representing Ryan Kennedy said in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday that Kennedy “categorically denies” using a slur or any other derogatory remarks in an exchange with Metcalf that ended with the two-time Pro Bowler punching Kennedy with his right arm.
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During the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s 29-24 victory, CBS cameras captured Metcalf and Kennedy, wearing blue wigs and blue-and-black shirts, having a heated back-and-forth fight on the tracks.
Kennedy leaned against the railing and appeared to yell into the receiver as he walked over, and Metcalf reached out and grabbed him with his right arm. The interaction ended with Metcalf jabbing the fan in the head with that arm, though he didn’t appear to make much, if any, contact.
Metcalf remained in the game, finishing with four catches for 42 yards.
Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday that he had “heard” about the exchange but not seen it and had not had a chance to discuss it with Metcalf, who was subsequently unavailable for reporters and was not in the locker room during the club’s 45 minutes of media coverage Monday.
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Former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco said on a podcast he co-hosts with Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe that Metcalf told him the fan used a racial slur and disparaged Metcalf’s mother.
A statement from Shawn Head and Sean Murphy of Head Murphy Law Firm called the allegations “completely false.”
“At no time did Mr. Kennedy use any form of racial slur or hate speech before, during, or after the incident,” the statement read. “Suggestions otherwise are untrue and not supported by video evidence, eyewitness accounts, or any contemporaneous reporting.”
The statement said Kennedy would not comment further because “the matter may now become the subject of formal legal proceedings.”
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The statement added that Kennedy told the Detroit Free Press that he was from Pinckney, Michigan, about an hour’s drive west of Ford Field, and that he had received “harassment, threats and messages promoting violence” following the incident.
Kennedy told the newspaper that Metcalf tore his shirt during the incident. Kennedy also told the Free Press that he called Metcalf by his first name, Dekerin.
The NFL is investigating the matter. It’s unclear if law enforcement has been contacted.
This isn’t the first incident between professional athletes and fans at a live sporting event.
Metcalf’s exchange with the fan came five months after Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana was suspended and fined by Major League Baseball after he got into a fight with a fan during a Pirates-Detroit Tigers game at UnionComm Park, just a block from Ford Field.
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The most notorious incident between players and fans occurred in 2004, when several members of the Indiana Pacers — including guard Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace) — got into fights with fans inside the now-demolished Palace during a game between the Pacers and the Detroit Pistons, in what became known as the “Palace Malice Incident.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl