New England Patriots great Willie McGinest is facing serious charges and jail time stemming from a brawl in December.
Late last year, TMZ Sports broke the news that the two-time Pro Bowler was arrested in Los Angeles on charges of assault. On Thursday the outlet had an update on the situation and it is quite serious for the man that played 15 seasons in the NFL.
This week, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office officially charged McGinest with “one count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury.”
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The charges come after the former New England Patriots star was involved in a brawl at a Santa Monica nightclub in December. In a video of the incident (which can be viewed below), McGinest and several associates are seen confronting a man and the NFL veteran is the first to throw a punch at the seated individual.
It all leads to a major melee where the group is seen ganging up on the unidentified person, and at one point McGinest seems to be jabbing a liquor bottle at the downed man during the brawl.
The NFL Hall-of-Famer was suspended from his role with the NFL Network following the arrest and is set to be arraigned in a Los Angeles court in April on the two felony charges. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
Willie McGinest was a part of three Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots teams during a 12-year tenure with the franchise from 1994 to 2005. He earned Pro Bowl honors in two of those years (1996, and 2003).
He finished his career in the league with three lackluster seasons with the Cleveland Browns.