When news broke that New York Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman was being investigated for an incident at a New Jersey club, there were many questions about what transpired.
Apparently a woman accused Thurman of slapping her hand and grazing her face after she flipped him off at the club last week.
Courtesy of TMZ
While there is some evidence that Thurman might have been in the wrong to an extent, more reports have surfaced about the alleged victim in this situation. Jessie Steinberg declined comment on a report that she had previously been arrested for filing a fictitious police report (via NY Daily News).
Witnesses have since come forth indicating Thurman did nothing wrong. According to this report by the New York Post, Tim Dolan of Bloomfield, New Jersey had the following to say.
I am a lifelong Giants fan, but am speaking out because this accuser is wrong.
Dolan continued…
I was sitting at a table eight feet away with a client and saw Thurman arrive and sit at the bar next to the woman and her friend…They began having a conversation, and at times the woman seemed open to him and would turn to him, and other times she would turn back to her friend and show her back to him.
This went on for 20 minutes. It didn’t look like they were in an argument. Then I saw Thurman get up from the bar and walk away and head towards the restaurant, before saying, ‘What? I was trying to give you a high five.
Dolan then indicated that he did not see Thurman allegedly slap Steinberg’s face when posed with that question from her friend after the Jets defensive coordinator had departed for the bathroom.
It’s important to remember that those around the NFL have a bulls-eye on them. They are flush with cash, have a relatively high level of public standing and are ripe targets for frivolous claims.
While this story isn’t anywhere near over, it’s going to be hard for authorities in New Jersey to press charges against Thurman, especially after you take into account these two recent reports. Those who jumped the gun on Thurman may now want to take a step back. We aren’t in the game of victim blaming, but there might not even be a victim here outside of Thurman himself.
Photo: NY Post