Thabo Sefolosha acquitted of all charges against NYPD

Thabo Sefolosha was found not guilty of all three criminal charges by a New York jury Friday.

The verdict was returned in less than an hour after the jury convened in Manhattan Criminal Court after getting the case as the conclusion of a four-day trial late Thursday afternoon. The Hawks player was arrested outside a New York nightclub in the early morning hours of April 8. During the arrest, Sefolosha suffered a broken right leg and ligament damage that required season-ending surgery as the Hawks were nearing the end of the regular season and preparing for the playoffs.

Thabo Sefolosha was offered a deal last month. A great deal. The Hawks’ forward could have accepted minimal culpability for the skirmish with police that resulted in him suffering a broken leg last April and missing the NBA playoffs by serving just one day of community service. In exchange, all obstruction of justice, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct charges would be dropped.

To the surprise of many, he turned down the offer because he wanted to hear the words, “Not guilty.”