VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - Tennessee Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter has been found not guilty on misdemeanor charges arising from a July bar brawl.
Hunter's trial for assault and battery lasted four hours in Virginia Beach Tuesday before the not guilty verdict was handed down.
The charge stemmed from a brawl that began inside a bar in the oceanfront tourist district of Virginia Beach. The fight led to a man's jaw being broken.
Prosecutors said during trial Tuesday that the brawl began after Hunter and a group of men exchanged words in the crowded bar.
Hunter's defense attorney said his client felt threatened, and that's why he began throwing punches. Surveillance video shown at trial showed numerous people involved in the fight.
Hunter's attorney also said his client was being singled out because he's an NFL player.
Macie E. Pridgen, the Public Information Officer for the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney in Virginia Beach, gave the following statement on the verdict:
"The Commonwealth respects this ruling although we disagree with it. It is our belief we had sufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt."
Hunter is originally from Virginia Beach.
(Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press & NewsChannel 5. All rights reserved.)
