It wasn’t Colonel Mustard in the Library with the revolver after all. According to 9News out of Colorado, Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib told friends that he accidentally shot himself Sunday morning.
The reported bullet wound seems to back that up. The Dallas Police report apparently stated that the bullet entered the rear of Talib’s right thigh and exited out of his right calf. Talib was able to leave the hospital Monday .
After the shooting, Talib told police he couldn’t remember what happened.
“Everything was a blur and I was too intoxicated to remember,” Talib told police. according to WFFA. Talib said he was hanging out a park with friends when he was shot and not part of the altercation at the V Live strip club where two other men, Glen Lumpkin and Vernon White, were shot. According to 9News, the police are still investigating what happened.
While the wound wasn’t serious and Talib should recover, there’s another problem with “accidentally” shooting yourself in the state of Texas. As of Jan. 1, a person carrying a gun in the state of Texas is required to licensed. Apparently Talib was not. Not a single person has been arrested connected with the shooting at the time that I’m writing this.
— Adam Greene (@TheFirstMan) June 8, 2016
Here’s what he could be in trouble for. First, it’s illegal to carry a weapon without a license into an establishment that sells booze. That’s a Class Three felony. Having a gun on on you while you’re drunk is a Class A misdemeanor and shooting a gun in public is a Class B misdemeanor.
If he’s charged with none of that, he might escape some discipline from the league. Obviously if Talib is just a victim the NFL won’t, and shouldn’t, do anything. But if he accidentally shot himself? Well, there’s some history there.
Aqib Talib told DPD he was at a park when he was shot. "Everything was a blur & I was too intoxicated to remember what happened."
— Rebecca Lopez (@rlopezwfaa) June 6, 2016
Back in 2008 New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself when he was carrying a gun in his sweatpants. Because it happened in New York, he got a two-year prison sentence for violating NY’s gun laws. He ended up serving 20 months in jail, before coming back to the NFL for a couple of seasons.
Because Burress’ prison sentence was so long, the NFL didn’t add anything else to it. Texas is a little more easy-going with its gun laws, even though Talib could have violated three of them. If he did, even if Texas goes easy on him, the NFL probably won’t. So for Talib’s sake he better be able to prove to the right people he took a bullet from somebody else’s gun.
Talib is expected back in Denver at least by Wednesday and the NFL is already investigating the incident.
NFL "actively" looking into circumstances surrounding Aqib Talib being shot this weekend, per an NFL official…. https://t.co/zh4TdrmRJN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 7, 2016
This isn’t Talib’s first issue with a “discharged gun.” He was charged by police back in 2011 when he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for shooting at his sister’s boyfriend. The charges were dropped a little while later.
Last year with the Broncos Talib started 15 games, recored 39 tackles, 13 pass defenses, three interceptions and two interceptions for touchdowns. They would not have gotten homefield advantage in the playoffs without him so you know they’re keeping their fingers crossed on what the police and NFL find out about the “incident.”
TMZ released a video Monday taken outside the V Live strip club by a couple of bystanders. You can hear four shots being fired but no one in the video is identifiable.
According to TMZ, the video, recording in Snapchat format, does show the events that happened outside the club.
“The only thing I’m concerned about right now is his health,” Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak told the media Tuesday. ” And that’s why I’m trying to get him here for. So we can see him, put our hands on him, know exactly what’s going on and go from there… I’ve obviously had many conversations with Aqib since this has taken place, but right now that’s between he and I and the club.”
Talib sitting out offseason workouts has worked out for one Broncos player. Nickel back Bradley Roby will be working with the first team, facing off against Emmanuel Sanders and Demariyus Thomas in drills.
