A bouncer who was
shot and said his left ankle was bitten by Adam "Pacman" Jones
in a strip club melee sued the suspended NFL player and other
members of his entourage for damages Monday.
The suit for an
unspecified amount was filed with the Clark County District
Court on behalf of Aaron Cudworth three days after the Tennessee
Titans' cornerback surrendered in Las Vegas on two felony
charges of coercion and posted $20,000 in bail.
Facts about the
Feb. 19 melee and shooting, which paralyzed another strip club
bouncer and wounded one other person, were confirmed in charges
that the district attorney filed against Jones on Wednesday,
said Cudworth's lawyer, Richard Schonfeld.
"When they made
their filing, it confirmed what I was looking for," Schonfeld
said. The civil case can proceed independently of the criminal
trial, he said.
Jones' Las Vegas
attorney Robert Langford said he had not seen the suit and
declined comment late Monday. A message left after business
hours at the Atlanta office of one of Jones' attorneys, Manny
Arora, wasn't immediately returned.
The melee at
Minxx Gentleman's Club during NBA All-Star weekend was sparked
after Jones threw cash from a plastic trash bag on stage to
"make it rain" for dancers as tips, according to the suit.
When two dancers
began to fight over the cash at about 4:30 a.m., Jones grabbed
one by the hair and punched her in the face two or three times,
the suit says.
Cudworth wrapped
his arms around Jones from behind, but let go when the club
manager was escorting Jones outside. Jones jumped back on stage,
vowing not to leave, cursing Cudworth and threatening to kill
him, the suit says.
After Cudworth
again tried to restrain Jones, the suit says he was knocked over
by Jones' 400-pound bodyguard, Robert Reid, 37, of Compton,
Calif. Jones took a swing at Cudworth, who restrained Jones, the
suit says. That's when Jones bit Cudworth on the ankle,
according to the suit.
Jones escaped,
and when Cudworth pursued him, Sadia Morrison, 25, of New York,
allegedly smashed a champagne bottle over the bouncer's head,
cutting him.
Cudworth finally
forced Jones outside, where he says Jones threatened to shoot
him and acted as if he was reaching for a weapon in his
waistband. The suit says a witness heard Jones tell another
member of his group, "Let's smoke this fool."
Later, the suit
alleges that a member of Jones' group fired a black
semiautomatic handgun five or six times toward Cudworth, hitting
him in the chest and left arm, causing permanent injury. Another
bouncer, Thomas Urbanski, was shot in the left hand and the
torso, and was left paralyzed from the waist down. A female club
patron was wounded in the head.
Cudworth is suing
Jones, Reid, Morrison and others for assault, battery, false
imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Schonfeld said
Cudworth underwent "multiple surgeries" and lost wages as a
result.
Jones, 23, who
has been suspended by the NFL for the 2007 season, is scheduled
to return to Las Vegas on July 23 to face criminal charges that
carry a maximum of 12 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if he
is convicted.
