Jahlil Okafor had a gun pointed at him during an altercation in Philadelphia with two unidentified men in early October, a witness tells CSNPhilly.com.
The 19-year-old Sixers’ rookie was outside an Old City nightclub after 2 a.m. on Oct. 4 when he and another person began arguing with two men sitting in a parked car near the corner of 2nd and Walnut Streets, according to a witness. The verbal disagreement escalated and a witness said he saw Okafor try to punch the driver through the open driver’s side window. During the altercation, the driver and passenger exited the car and the passenger pointed a gun in the direction of Okafor and his associate, per the witness.
U.S. Park Rangers — who patrol nearby Independence Hall — arrived on the scene during the altercation, according to separate reports filed by the U.S. Park Rangers and the Philadelphia Police Department and obtained by CSNPhilly.com. The man who exited the passenger side of the car fled on foot and appeared to toss his gun, per multiple witnesses. According to the police report, the driver got into a black Camaro with red stripes and sped off. The car was not stopped.
According to the police report, a U.S. Park Ranger chased the unidentified passenger on foot but lost him when the man ducked into the garage at the nearby Sheraton Philadelphia Society Hill Hotel at One Dock Street. The report also indicated that police and K-9 units “swept the parking garage and first floor of the hotel with negative results.” Hotel surveillance video revealed the man never entered the hotel from the garage.
A law enforcement source told CSNPhilly.com that a gun magazine was recovered near the scene and submitted for fingerprint analysis. The law enforcement source said the investigation is ongoing.
It is unclear what happened to Okafor or his associate after the incident or if they were interviewed by U.S. Park Rangers or PPD.
"I’m not allowed to talk about that incident," Okafor said Friday night after the Sixers' loss to the Rockets. "There is a process going on and I’m not allowed to talk about it. I’m sorry."
The Sixers also would not comment but released the following statement:
"We are aware that there is an ongoing investigation regarding the alleged incident and are unable to comment further."
Okafor, however, did comment on the fight he was involved in Wednesday night outside a Boston nightclub after the team's loss to the Celtics. Following Friday morning's shootaround, Okafor addressed the media and called the altercation “definitely dumb on my part and something I’m embarrassed about.”
He continued: “It doesn’t happen often. People were coming at me and making fun of us for losing. I know I’m in the spotlight and I know there are people going to try to anger you. I did the dumb thing and reacted to it. I’ll never handle it like that again.”
On Thursday, TMZ posted a video that shows Okafor punching an unidentified man outside a Boston nightclub. In the video, Okafor is heard shouting at someone, “We got money, you broke ass [racial slur].” The video also shows Okafor punching a man who then falls to the pavement. The Boston Police Department later issued a statement saying it is “actively reviewing” the case. According to the statement, a man filed a police report Friday morning claiming he was the victim of assault and battery outside Storyville nightclub in Boston around 2 a.m. on Thursday morning.
Following the incident in Boston, a Sixers’ spokesman issued a statement: "We are aware of the report and we are currently working to gather additional information. Until that time, we will have no further comment."
