Pro Bowl player accused of assault
By Ken Kobayashi and Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writers
Honolulu police are investigating a complaint accusing Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison of assault at a Waikiki resort three days before the Pro Bowl.
Harrison was interviewed by police on Saturday, the eve of the National Football League all-star game at Aloha Stadium, in connection with two misdemeanor third-degree assault cases and a petty misdemean-or harassment case, police said. No one was arrested, and no one has been charged.
Three complaints were filed, each naming Harrison and two men described as his bodyguards, but police said they are not releasing paperwork or further details because of an ongoing investigation.
Harrison could not be reached for comment yesterday. Colts spokesman Craig Kelley declined to comment, and phone calls to Harrison's agent, International Management Group football chief Tom Condon, were not returned.
Jim Fulton, spokesman for the city prosecutor, said his office is awaiting police reports to determine whether to pursue charges or ask for more investigation.
The allegations are over an incident that reportedly occurred outside the Louis Vuitton store at the Hilton Hawaiian Village after 10 p.m. Thursday, according to Valencia Williams, a Los Angeles computer technician.
Williams said her 13-year-old son was one of four teenage boys, all related, who wanted to take photographs of Harrison and asked him for autographs. Williams said although she was nearby, she did not witness the incident.
However, she said, her son told her Harrison was on a cell phone and told them to wait. He later went on the cell phone again and two men showed up, Williams said. She said her son told her one of the men punched a 15-year-old boy in the jaw. The youth was taken to the hospital, she said.
Williams said her son told her Harrison also shoved one of the boys and placed a "chokehold" on him.
"On behalf of our family and our sons, we are willing to pursue this matter to the fullest," Williams said. "We would like the authorities in Hawai'i to cooperate and not give this guy special treatment because he's a high-profile football player."
Honolulu lawyer Michael Green, attorney for the youths' families, said Pro Bowl players are idolized by youngsters and the incident should not be tolerated.
"It can't be ignored," he said. "They're just asking that justice be done."
The 6-foot, 175-pound Harrison is a nine-year NFL veteran who was drafted in the first round out of Syracuse in 1996. He is the leading receiver in Colts' franchise history, and last season caught 86 passes for 1,113 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Harrison caught the AFC's first touchdown pass in its 38-27 victory over the NFC in Sunday's Pro Bowl. He finished the game with two catches for 66 yards and the touchdown.
Williams said she and the families had brought the boys here for a vacation and the Pro Bowl. She said they went to the game despite the incident and watched Harrison play.
"We booed him," she said. "I think he owes us a formal apology."
Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8030. Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8110.
