Scottie Pippen will not face assault charges for punching a man at Malibu's Nobu on June 24 - authorities claimed that the man was drunk and was demanding an autograph and a photo from the former Chicago Bulls player, adding that he even faked seizures after allegedly being hit by Scottie Pippen in the face, a Huffington Post report stated on Wednesday.
According to the Los Angeles district attorney's office, there was no sufficient evidence that could prove the man's assault charges against Scottie Pippen and that Pippen was indeed guilty of the crime.
Prosecutors shared that Scottie Pippen was having a dinner with his wife, children, mother-in-law, and two brothers when a certain Camran Shafighi asked for Pippen's consent to pose for a photo, but after Scottie Pippen rejected his request, he followed Pippen into the parking area, where he once again asked for a photo and, this time, an autograph from the basketball player.
According to Shafighi's statements to the police, Scottie Pippen had punched him in the face, spat a few times on his head, and kicked him several times as well, a Chicago Tribune news explained.
However, countering Shafighi's statements, Scottie Pippen told the investigators that the 49-year-old Shafighi became "irate" on his disapproval and began "grabbing at him, cursing him and then spit in his face," ABC News reported.
Although Scottie Pippen had admitted the allegations of spitting and pushing the man away, the prosecutors find it hard to state whether Pippen simply acted in self-defense like white many eyewitness had said.
Huffington Post reported that Shafighi was taken to UCLA Medical Center for examination and testing, and it was found out that he didn't suffer from "any internal trauma," but claimed later on that he was diagnosed with broken ankle and ribs. Nevertheless, Shafighi, who has filed a $4 million lawsuit, only had small visible physical injuries on his chin and lips to back his claim.
Additionally, his hospital records showed that his blood alcohol level was at 0.18%, a rating enough to prove that he was legally intoxicated.
Prosecutor William Ryder said that Scottie Pippen's pushing was "justifiable and the spitting is unprosecutable."
Ryder also noted that the evidence was very insufficient for the lack of physical injuries and the "drunken condition" of Shafighi during the incident.
On the other hand, Scottie Pippen's attorney, Mark Gregaros said, "This shakedown artist was drunk, screaming racial slurs, and assaulted my client and his family," adding, "Scottie and his family are grateful to the sheriff for their investigation and DA for their decision to reject these unfounded charges. Scottie and his family plan on holding this man accountable for his outrageous actions."
Scottie Pippen is best known for winning six NBA titles with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. He was recognized as one of NBA's 50 greatest players in 1996, and was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame list in 2010.
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