Ja Morant.Photo: Dylan Buell/Getty
Colorado police launched an inquiry into whether Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant broke any of the state’s gun laws when he appeared to show off a gun on social media while at a strip club, PEOPLE confirms.
Colorado’s Glendale Police Department say they launched an investigation into 23-year-old Morant after he was seen in an Instagram Live videoappearing to hold up a handgun with his left handwhile partying in a club.
“The department is aware of the incident circulating on the internet involving an NBA player at a nightclub with a what appears to be a gun in the early morning hours of March 4, 2023,” Capt. Jamie Dillon told PEOPLE in a statement.
“We have confirmed the incident took place at a bar in Glendale and we are investigating the matter,” he added. “The Glendale Police Department does not comment on ongoing investigations.”
Dillon told theAssociated Pressthat they did not receive complaints or calls about the video but began looking into the incident after the footage spread online.
Ja Morant.Thearon W. Henderson/Getty
Morant has since been suspended for two games. The second game is scheduled for Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I take full responsibility for my actions last night,” Morant said. “I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting you down.”
“I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being,” he added.
In one incident, Morant was said to have “threatened” the head of security at a Memphis mall after an altercation in the parking lot, which led the security chief to file a police report. In the other incident, a teenage boy reportedly told the police that Morant hadpunched himduring a pickup basketball game at Morant’s residence.
The police report indicated that Morant claimed he acted in “self-defense” after the boy threw the ball at his head.
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Tanner emphasized that all claims involving firearms had been thoroughly investigated, and no evidence had been found. This included an NBA investigation conducted in January.
A slow-moving SUV that Morant was riding in reportedly shone a red laser at the party, but NBA spokesperson Bass clarified that, based on interviews and evidence collected, they could not corroborate any reports of an individual threatening others with a weapon.
source: people.com
