SAN DIEGO—
San Diego Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie is being investigated in connection with an assault at a Pacific Beach Bar, police said.Officers were called to Bar West at 939 Hornblend St. Monday morning at about 1:20 a.m. to investigate reports of a fight, police said. Cromartie allegedly threw a champagne bottle that hit another person in the head, according to police. The Charger said that the bottle "slipped out of his hand,'' said department spokesman Detective Gary Hassen. A man, who was later identified as 24-year-old Kamaldeep Saran of San Diego, suffered a cut to the back of his head but nobody was hospitalized.
"There was glass everywhere. There was pandamonium, people were like 'Oh my God,' and you know, his head was bleeding profusely, there was just blood everywhere," said eyewitness Gary Ratavoissin.
Ratavoissen said that he was visiting from Los Angeles, when he a his friends were in some type of game with a group of Chargers players on how many bottles could be bought. He said at first, everybody was having a great time, but it wasn't until the early morning hours when things went, "out of control."
"It kind of was immature, and was so stupid for them to take it to that next level and him to hit somebody on the back of the head with a bottle," he said.
Officers interviewed a number of people at the bar, including Cromartie, who is under investigation for assault with a deadly weapon, Hassen said. No charges have been filed, and investigators are trying to sort out conflicting statements from different witnesses.
Cromartie and other Chargers players were at the bar celebrating the Bolts 32-3 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The win gave the team the lead in AFC West.
Cromartie sent a message to his Twitter followers Monday. On his Twitter page he wrote, "I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO CHARGER NATION AND MY FANS. THERE'S SUM STUFF OUT ABT ME THAT'S NOT TRUE. IT WILL COME OUT. GOD BLESS."
After Monday's Chargers practice Cromartie's teammates stood by his side.
"Honestly, if you hit your head with a bottle you are going to jail. If a guy's bleeding, that's assault, and those are the things we don't represent," said offensive tackle Marcus McNeil.
Hassen said a police report about the fight would be turned over to the City Attorney's Office for review later today.
