The story is not well known. Former NFL player Dimitri Patterson, who played in the league from 2005-2013, allegedly injured two police officers when attempting to hightail a court proceeding back in February of 2017.
As we covered back then, Patterson ultimately faced battery charges against a police officer. This came while Patterson was in court answering to unknown charges against him (more on that here).
Now, over a year later, Patterson has filed a defamation lawsuit against ESPN, demanding $50 million in damages.
“In his suit, which he filed while acting as his own lawyer, Patterson includes a letter from ESPN legal team in which the network defends the accuracy of the article,” TMZ Sports notes.
Patterson claims courtroom videos show that ESPN’s original article reporting the incident was false.
It’s not yet known just whether ESPN will have to pay a penny to Patterson. Though, the allegations themselves are pretty darn serious.
Patterson, 34, last played in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins back in 2013. He started 20 games in seven seasons, earning $17.3 million in the process.