FOP wants replay on McCoy decision

The Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police lodge has asked the state Attorney General's Office to investigate a February bar brawl involving football player LeSean McCoy, his friends, and three off-duty police officers in Old City.

In a letter sent to Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane on Thursday, John McNesby, president of Lodge 5, ripped into Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams for not charging McCoy in the case.

McNesby called the decision, announced Monday, "an outrageous cover-up and dereliction of duty by a public official," according to a law-enforcement official who had a copy of the letter but was not authorized to discuss it.

McNesby also wrote that Williams was motivated to let the former Eagles running back go without being charged "because McCoy is a prominent professional athlete," the official said.

McNesby confirmed in an interview Friday that he sent the letter, and said, "I'm just asking [the Attorney General's Office] to take a look" at the case.

Two officers were injured in the Feb. 7 brawl at Recess Lounge, which erupted after an officer and a member of McCoy's entourage argued over a bottle of champagne.

Williams announced Monday that he would not bring charges against anyone due to conflicting statements about who started the fight.

In an interview Friday, Williams defended his decision, saying it was based purely on the evidence.

Williams also said he does not think the Attorney General's Office has jurisdiction over a bar brawl already reviewed by local prosecutors. He added that McNesby "says a lot of stuff like a pro wrestling federation wrestler just to be over the top."

Chuck Ardo, Kane's spokesman, said that the Attorney General's Office had received McNesby's letter but that no decision had been made about whether to investigate the case.

"The office is reviewing its options," Ardo said, declining to offer a timeline. "We'll make a decision once [we have] more facts to work with."

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