Police and prosecutors probing Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas are interviewing team staff as the federal grand jury investigation into possible gun violations continues, The Examiner has learned.
The early focus of the probe will be to reconstruct from witnesses precisely what happened the night Arenas displayed handguns as part of what he described as a “misguided joke.”
Arenas has given a statement to police and prosecutors, but none of his teammates has been interviewed, a top law enforcement source said. Authorities have talked with Wizards staff, including security personnel, as they try to piece together a confrontation between Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton.
» Guns must be brought, unloaded, to police headquarters to be registered.
» Owners must demonstrate weapon proficiency.
» No one with a gun crime conviction is allowed to register.
Prosecutors have gathered a grand jury to explore weapons charges against Arenas, but any indictment is still weeks away, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation.
Through his lawyer, Arenas has said that his decision to lay out four handguns near teammate Crittenton on Dec. 21 was “a misguided effort to play a joke.”
Prosecutors and police might have been more understanding if the guns were kept away in Arenas’ locker, as he claimed, to keep them out of reach of his young children, a law enforcement source said. But having the guns pulled out as horseplay has irked law enforcement authorities, the source said.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the incident was caused by a dispute over a card game on a team flight Dec. 19. Crittenton was reportedly angry at having lost money in the game and threatened to shoot Arenas in his leg. Two days later, Arenas allegedly laid out the weapons on a chair near Crittenton’s locker and attached a note saying, “Pick one.”
Arenas claimed he stored the guns in his locker because he didn’t understand D.C.’s strict gun laws.
Prosecutors are considering felony charges of carrying a pistol without a license, which carries up to five years in prison for each handgun.
Authorities still must interview those who were in the locker room on the day of the incident.
Arenas has rushed to get ahead of the scandal, and the team has been cooperating, the source said. A plea bargain has not yet been discussed.
Complicating Arenas’ problems is a previous gun conviction stemming from a California traffic stop in 2003. Police said they found a handgun under a bag in the back seat of Arenas’ car, as well as ammunition in the glove box.
Whatever happens with law enforcement, Arenas is also facing a stiff punishment from the league. The NBA’s public image has been battered in recent years because of growing violence among and around players.
