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Michael Vick denies involvement in shooting incident

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick said he had "nothing to do" with a shooting incident at his 30th birthday party and that he has been "completely truthful and fully cooperative from the very beginning" with law enforcement and NFL investigators, in a statement released last night through attorney Billy Martin.

Michael Vick's future with the Eagles is in question. (Laurence Kesterson / Staff file photo)
Michael Vick's future with the Eagles is in question. (Laurence Kesterson / Staff file photo)Read more

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick said he had "nothing to do" with a shooting incident at his 30th birthday party and that he has been "completely truthful and fully cooperative from the very beginning" with law enforcement and NFL investigators, in a statement released last night through attorney Billy Martin.

Vick had not previously commented on the incident that happened early Friday morning outside the Guadalajara in Virginia Beach, Va.

"After I left the event, I learned that a man was shot outside the restaurant," Vick said in the statement. "I want to assure everyone that I had nothing to do with that incident. I left the restaurant prior to it occurring and did not witness what happened."

Questions began to arise when surveillance video from the club showed, according to a club spokesman, that Vick and his entourage left just minutes before the shooting. Vick's lawyer, Larry "Woody" Woodward, has said that Vick left the club long before the shooting.

The shooting victim has been identified by media outlets as Quanis Phillips, a codefendant in the case that sent Vick to prison for 18 months on gambling and dogfighting convictions. Vick is not supposed to associate with anyone from his dogfighting days under the terms of his probation. A source told the Daily News on Wednesday that Vick's federal probation officer in Norfolk is investigating the incident as well.

No suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made by Virginia Beach police. Police spokesman Adam Bernstein told the Daily News last Friday that they had "no interest" in Vick. However, by Wednesday, that stance had changed when Bernstein said investigators won't characterize Vick as a suspect, a person of interest or a witness.

Vick and Woodward voluntarily met with detectives on Monday.

"Following the incident, I reported it to the Philadelphia Eagles and to representatives of commissioner Roger Goodell of the NFL," Vick said. "In addition, I cooperated with and answered any and all questions from law enforcement officials investigating this matter. My statements, from the beginning, explained that I was not there at the time of the shooting and had no knowledge of the events surrounding it.

"I have been completely truthful and fully cooperative from the very beginning and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement and the NFL as this investigation continues."

The incident could affect Vick's reinstatement to the NFL. Spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league has been "looking into it to determine the facts."

Asked about a time frame or whether the league could take action before the investigation is completed by Virginia Beach police, McCarthy said the NFL had "no other comment at this point."

The Eagles have not commented since a Friday statement that said they were in the "process of gathering all of the facts."