Police: Vick 'Of No Interest' in Shooting Probe
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Police: Vick 'Of No Interest' in Shooting Probe
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
The good news for Michael Vick this afternoon might be that the Virginia Beach police say he is "of no interest to us" as they investigate a shooting that occurred early this morning outside a restaurant where Vick reportedly had been celebrating his 30th birthday.
However, given the stringent protocols of Vick's reinstatement to football last year by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, it might not be a great thing for the Eagles' backup quarterback that a man identified by Virginia Beach General Hospital as Quanis Phillips, one of Vick's 2007 dogfighting codefendants, suffered a nonlifethreatening wound in the incident. Vick is not supposed to associate with anyone from his dogfighting days, after serving more than a year and a half in prison and being released on probation before his reinstatement last year.
Police spokesman Adam Bernstein said his department got a cell-phoned 911 call at 2:11 AM from someone who had heard an argument followed by a gunshot in the 4600 block of Columbus Street, in Virginia Beach's Town Center section. Officers arrived at the Guadalajara nightclub/restaurant and were told the victim had just gotten into a vehicle, to be driven to the hospital. The police stopped the vehicle, Bernstein, said, and transported the adult male victim by ambulance to the hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his leg.
Bernstein said the officers' report characterized the victim as "very uncooperative," which he said was also the case with other witnesses. Bernstein said all police knew about the shooter was that he was said to be a black male wearing a white tank top, who left the area in a white Cadillac Escalade.
Hampton Roads (Va.) Daily Press Urban Affairs columnist David Squires blogged today that sources told him there was a dispute between Phillips and Vick that involved the smearing of birthday cake, before the shooting.
"The story goes that Quanis threatened to smash birthday cake in Vick's face, or that he actually smashed the cake in Vick's face," Squires wrote.
"Another version is that someone smashed cake in Quanis' face -- or threatened to smash it in his face.
"Anyway, the confrontation moved outside -- where I'm told there were several still cameras and video cameras.
"Cooler heads did NOT prevail, and 'Q' was shot in the shopping center parking lot.
"It is unclear whether Vick was still around at the time of the shooting, but he was definitely not there when police arrived."
Another Daily Press report, posted later Friday, quoted Atlanta Falcons wideout Roddy White as saying he and Vick left the area long before the shooting.
"We were already gone by the time that stuff started happening, so I don't know what's going to go on with that or whatever, but we didn't have anything to do with it," White said on Friday during a break in the youth football camp being held Hampton University.
Bernstein said Vick is "of no interest to us" as police investigate.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league is looking into the incident "to determine the facts." When Goodell allowed Vick to return to the NFL last July, one part of the letter announcing the decision said: "Needless to say, your margin for error is extremely limited."
Vick's agent, Joel Segal, did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily News. Vick's attorney Larry Woodward told the Associated Press that Vick was neither involved in nor present for the shooting.
The Eagles issued the following statement:
"We are aware of the incident that occurred in Virginia early this morning and are in the process of gathering all of the facts. Until then, we will not have any comment on this matter."
You poor AWM's gonna be so mad when once again all your anger is for naught. LOL— mlr710- If Vick was carrying or haqd access to ANY kind of firearm while being out in public.....he is without a fracking DOUBT the stupidest a-hole on the planet. Since he has at least a modicum of intelligence, my money is on the fact that he had no knowledge of the incident 'til told of it.— TBear
Comment removed.- Please READ... It says he wasnt there at 2am... It says that Quan CRASHED the Party.... He shouldn't be cut... He LEFT...— pyle70
- I like stereotypes.— 5280philly
- This really takes the cake!— dasher
- Mike Vick is a bad person.— MD20202020
- All the Eagles need to do, to win me back as a fan, is to get rid of him. That may not be much to the Eagles, but I have been a fan since i was 5 years old. As of right now, I don't watch them or buy anything with Eagles on it.— Kruntz
"...threatened to smash birthday cake in Vick's face, or that he actually smashed the cake in Vick's face," Huh? Is that why the victim was shot? This should be an interesting story...Good grief, I guess Vick controversies and debates are a staple now of the Eagles offseason.- It's funny to hear people pile on Vick and then root for other thugs without a thought. Face it, pro sports like our society has a huge thug element. Football is a violent sport and the men who excel at it are not the choirboy types. I have no illusions that he is a nice guy but good or bad Vick is just another player and not the worst. I love my dog and cringe at Vick's sadistic "hobby" but Big Ben's crimes are worse on my scorecard yet I don't hear him being voted most hated athlete. I'll root for the Eagles and tolerate Vick, I'm in it for the football.— brs50
- Where is apologist Tony Dungheap to cover for the Dog Killer? How about Father of the year Andy Reid and Gold Standrad Jeff Lurie?— Dr. Michael
- Vick is a victim of racism once again. If he was white, no one would blame him for being in the same place as someone getting shot. White quarterbacks can do what ever they want without fear of retribution, while back quarterbacks get in trouble for being in the same neighborhood as a crime. Racism is as alive as it ever was, thanks to George W. Bush, who always acted like any minority was a terrorist and encouraged everyone to think the same way, all to distract people from him making his cronies at Big Oil and Haliburton rich on the back of the poor, who were taxed to death while he cut taxes for the rich.— eldiablodelsol2009
- I am suppose to believe that a grown man doesn't have a right to have a birthday party, even if he is turning thirty, I know some that have had parties when they have turned sixty. I don't see where Vick did anything he shouldn't have or was in a place he shouldn't have been in, he was celebrating his birthday, the person who caused the trouble was not invited, he crashed the party, sounds like when he confronted Vick, Vick left, which is exactly what he should have done. You people are pathetic, you come out like roaches everytime there is only the mention of Vick's name.— charmaine
The Police said "Vick of No Interest" That's the 1st clue. 2nd, the coulumnist here is putting forth unsubstantiated facts, casual obsevations if you will. If any of the haters could read, Roddy White stated, as a witness, that he and Vick left long before 2AM. The probation officer may question Vick, but without firm evidence of "association with known criminals" would have nothing. Goodell will ask as well, including all parties. But more than likely the only thing that comes out of this is: haters hatin and wishin' he really did something that constitutes a crime. The man is no saint, but these are friends he grew up most likely. Could have been somebody causin' trouble because of some past incident, and bein' his friends, tried to protect the man, got into it. You would'nt understand how hard it is to completely change your way of life, thinking, everything. It dose'nt happen overnight. Yo, try not to fear what you do'nt understand and jump to irrational conclusions, hear all the facts 1st.
Eagle GREEN Mt State -- its not that i'm sticking up for him, but i'm tired of people complaining abut somebody else life when its not their business. if the man wanted to throw a 30th bday party for himself, thats his right. who are you or anybody else to say what that man or any other man should do. if it turns out that he did nothing involving the shooting, then thats all that matters.
