kepdawg
08-01-2006, 10:57 PM
Owens named as witness to bar attack
Woman says in civil filing she was hit by possible guest of player
10:31 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 1, 2006
By TIM WYATT / The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens is among four people named in a civil filing as witnesses to a bar fight in which a Dallas woman was attacked in June at a trendy nightclub in East Dallas.
According to court records filed Friday in civil district court, Mr. Owens may have invited a woman suspected of attacking Christi Proctor on June 10 at the Candle Room, a members-only club near North Central Expressway and Henderson Avenue.
Stewart Matthews, attorney for Ms. Proctor, said Tuesday that he filed a motion to take sworn statements from Mr. Owens, another club patron and the Candle Room's manager because "we're getting the run-around every time we ask for information."
Mr. Matthews, speaking on behalf of Ms. Proctor, said he does not believe Mr. Owens was involved in the attack but was a witness to it – and may have invited the woman suspected of assaulting Ms. Proctor.
"The only reason Mr. Owens is involved at all is because we understand he was there and he knew the woman involved," he said.
Mr. Owens was unavailable to discuss the case Tuesday, and his representatives declined to comment.
The motion also asks for records of how much liquor was served to Mr. Owens, Tara Smith and Andy Dunning by bartenders at the club.
"This lady was attacked, and it was completely unprovoked," Mr. Matthews said. "We have witnesses who say that."
The motion asks for information on Tara Smith, who Mr. Matthews said he believes is a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader who arrived at the Candle Room with Mr. Owens and club member Andy Dunning.
According to Dallas police, on July 6, Ms. Proctor contacted police and told an officer that she was assaulted a month prior at the Candle Room, where they had assembled to watch the NBA playoffs. She said she and the suspect were both intoxicated when they got into an argument, which led to the suspect punching Ms. Proctor in the mouth and pushing her down.
She told police that a bouncer then escorted her out of the club through the back door. Another bouncer told her to come inside to identify who hit her. She spotted the woman at the bar, but "no one would give [Ms. Proctor] a name," according to a police report.
No criminal charges have been filed in the case.
An "unknown individual" at the club told Ms. Proctor "to go home for the interest of the bar," the report stated. A friend took Ms. Proctor home, and she later sought medical treatment for several broken teeth. Eventually, she learned the name of the woman who hit her and called the police.
The civil court motion filed Friday is not a lawsuit.
"We want to make sure we have accurate information and not file a lawsuit frivolously," Mr. Matthews said. "Right now, we're not even certain who carried out the attack.
"We have our suspicions, and it's a pretty good suspicion, but the people named in the motion have the information we need, and we don't suspect them of any wrongdoing or that they were involved in the attack."
Staff writer Jason Trahan contributed to this report.
E-mail twyatt@dallasnews.com
Woman says in civil filing she was hit by possible guest of player
10:31 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 1, 2006
By TIM WYATT / The Dallas Morning News
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens is among four people named in a civil filing as witnesses to a bar fight in which a Dallas woman was attacked in June at a trendy nightclub in East Dallas.
According to court records filed Friday in civil district court, Mr. Owens may have invited a woman suspected of attacking Christi Proctor on June 10 at the Candle Room, a members-only club near North Central Expressway and Henderson Avenue.
Stewart Matthews, attorney for Ms. Proctor, said Tuesday that he filed a motion to take sworn statements from Mr. Owens, another club patron and the Candle Room's manager because "we're getting the run-around every time we ask for information."
Mr. Matthews, speaking on behalf of Ms. Proctor, said he does not believe Mr. Owens was involved in the attack but was a witness to it – and may have invited the woman suspected of assaulting Ms. Proctor.
"The only reason Mr. Owens is involved at all is because we understand he was there and he knew the woman involved," he said.
Mr. Owens was unavailable to discuss the case Tuesday, and his representatives declined to comment.
The motion also asks for records of how much liquor was served to Mr. Owens, Tara Smith and Andy Dunning by bartenders at the club.
"This lady was attacked, and it was completely unprovoked," Mr. Matthews said. "We have witnesses who say that."
The motion asks for information on Tara Smith, who Mr. Matthews said he believes is a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader who arrived at the Candle Room with Mr. Owens and club member Andy Dunning.
According to Dallas police, on July 6, Ms. Proctor contacted police and told an officer that she was assaulted a month prior at the Candle Room, where they had assembled to watch the NBA playoffs. She said she and the suspect were both intoxicated when they got into an argument, which led to the suspect punching Ms. Proctor in the mouth and pushing her down.
She told police that a bouncer then escorted her out of the club through the back door. Another bouncer told her to come inside to identify who hit her. She spotted the woman at the bar, but "no one would give [Ms. Proctor] a name," according to a police report.
No criminal charges have been filed in the case.
An "unknown individual" at the club told Ms. Proctor "to go home for the interest of the bar," the report stated. A friend took Ms. Proctor home, and she later sought medical treatment for several broken teeth. Eventually, she learned the name of the woman who hit her and called the police.
The civil court motion filed Friday is not a lawsuit.
"We want to make sure we have accurate information and not file a lawsuit frivolously," Mr. Matthews said. "Right now, we're not even certain who carried out the attack.
"We have our suspicions, and it's a pretty good suspicion, but the people named in the motion have the information we need, and we don't suspect them of any wrongdoing or that they were involved in the attack."
Staff writer Jason Trahan contributed to this report.
E-mail twyatt@dallasnews.com