With Plaxico Burress' gun charges from last November still being sorted out, Giants owner John Mara believes Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce should not be handed any criminal charges for his role in Burress' shooting.
The Manhattan district attorney has confirmed that Pierce is facing an indictment for removing Burress' gun from the scene after Burress shot himself in the leg at The Latin Quarter night club in Manhattan.
According to the New York Daily News, Mara released the following statement on Tuesday:
"We have refrained from making any public statement regarding the legal proceedings against Plaxico Burress out of respect for the process. Our organization, including Antonio Pierce, has cooperated fully with the police and the DA’s office from the outset of their respective investigations. However, since the District Attorney’s office has seen fit to publicly discuss the details of the potential case against Burress and has suggested it will seek to charge Antonio, we feel it is necessary to offer the following:
"While we in no way condone Antonio’s decision to be in a nightclub in Manhattan less than two days before a game, we cannot understand the DA’s position that Antonio is subject to criminal charges. When this incident occurred, Antonio reacted out of concern for the health and well-being of Plaxico Burress. His first priority was to make sure Plaxico received proper medical attention for what very well could have been a life-threatening wound. There was no criminal intent on the part of Antonio, who was thrust into this predicament simply because he accompanied Plaxico that evening and because he made the decision to immediately take Plaxico to the hospital. We believe it is unwarranted for the DA’s office to press criminal charges against Antonio under these circumstances."
