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Willie McGinest took to Instagram in an attempt to clear his name following his arrest on a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon. The former New England Patriots star linebacker used Instagram Stories to proclaim his innocence regarding the charge. The Los Angeles County sheriff’s office told reporters that he turned himself in over a supposed incident that happened at a nightclub earlier this month.
The former NFL linebacker provided a statement, was charged, and then released on a $30,000 bond, per the reports. Authorities didn't release further details of the alleged assault. McGinest, who currently works as an NFL analyst, released a statement after news of his arrest became public.
The statement said:
“We are aware of the incident and the video, which is disturbing. Willie McGinest will not appear on NFL Network while we review the matter."
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The former linebacker played 15 seasons in the NFL. He spent 12 seasons with the Patriots. His final three seasons were with the Cleveland Browns. He won three Super Bowls in his time with the Patriots (2001, 2003, and 2004) and made it to two Pro Bowls. In all, McGinest had 672 tackles, 78 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, and four interceptions with the Patriots.
He's third all-time in Patriots' history in career sacks and second in forced fumbles. With the Browns, he had 132 tackles, eight sacks, and an interception. However, it's not the first time that McGinest has had a brush with the law.
Willie McGinest ran into legal issues while at USC
Before becoming the fourth overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, Willie McGinest played college football at USC. He and two other teammates were accused of sexually assaulting a female graduate student in a dormitory in 1991.
Following a five-week trial, a jury found McGinest and his teammates not guilty of misdemeanor charges. Per the Los Angeles Times, jurors didn't feel the accuser's story was true, and there was no evidence from other witnesses. We'll see what happens regarding the former New England Patriots star and his recent arrest.
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