“We are working with the Hawks organization and local law enforcement to obtain more information about the circumstances surrounding Thabo’s arrest,” NBA spokesman Michael Bass said.
The league wouldn’t go so far as to characterize its efforts as an official investigation, but a source close to the situation expects the league to do so in short order.
On Friday, the National Basketball Players Association said it was looking into the incident. On Thursday, the union had representatives at the 10th precinct and the courts in New York City.
Sefolosha suffered a fractured right fibula and ligament damage early Wednesday morning in New York. Police reports state that Sefolosha was interfering with the establishment of a crime scene and resisting arrest following the stabbing of Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland outside a Manhattan nightclub. Hawks center Pero Antic was also arrested.
But two videos have surfaced on TMZ that raise questions about the specifics at the scene. The most recent video, shot by a witness, appears to show Sefolosha being wrestled to the ground by five uniformed officers, after which one swings a baton forcefully, apparently at Sefolosha’s lower body.