Two sides to Nigel Bradham case
How in the world did Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham end up punching a 50-year-old Haitian attendant at a hotel's beachfront umbrella-and-chair concession last week, resulting in a charge of aggravated battery?
How in the world did Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham end up punching a 50-year-old Haitian attendant at a hotel's beachfront umbrella-and-chair concession last week, resulting in a charge of aggravated battery?
Conflicting versions of what happened have emerged. Alleged victim Jean Courtois told police Bradham punched him, "unprovoked," over what the arrest complaint called "speed of service." A witness, Panos Sinaidis, apparently backed Courtois' account.
But a source close to Bradham said the punch was not unprovoked. The source said Courtois engaged in an escalating conflict with Bradham's group of six people, a conflict that started over his refusal to rent them six chairs, since the chairs are rented in groups of four.
The source said Courtois spoke rudely to Bradham's girlfriend at that time and again when the party attempted to get its chairs placed closer to the water, at the Hilton Bentley hotel in Miami.
The source said Bradham's girlfriend asked to speak with a supervisor, and one was summoned. (It's unclear if this would be Sinaidis. There was no response to a message left for Sinaidis Wednesday.) Shouting and gesturing ensued, the source said, and Bradham's girlfriend was struck in the face, perhaps by a punch intended for Bradham.
At that point, everyone agrees, Bradham broke Courtois' nose with a punch. Other minor injuries were inflicted upon him either by Bradham or members of his party, all of whom then fled, having left Bradham's credit card payment information and a cellphone, which made things considerably easier for the police.
The source close to Bradham said he and his girlfriend were considering filing countercharges against Courtois, though that apparently had not happened by Wednesday evening.
Bradham reported to Eagles training camp Wednesday and is scheduled to practice Thursday afternoon.
Courtois, reached on the phone Wednesday by Daily News and Inquirer reporters, said "I am the victim." He said he has only been in the U.S. a year and is not a fluent speaker of English, and that his attorney has told him not to discuss the matter. However, informed of the allegation that he threw a punch, Courtois denied this, and said he weighs 160 pounds and would not attack a pro football player who is 26 years old and listed at 6-2, 241.
Aggravated battery is a second-degree felony, and the league is looking into the incident, an NFL spokesman confirmed.
@LesBowen
Blog: philly.com/Eaglesblog
