LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Chris Lammons and two other men appeared in a Las Vegas courtroom Thursday morning and entered not-guilty pleas during their arraignment on battery charges.
The judge set the jury trial for July 31, 2023. Below is a video of the men’s first appearance in court.
A Clark County grand jury indicted Kamara, Lammons, Darrin Young and Percy Harris on charges of conspiracy to commit battery and battery resulting in substantial bodily harm following a beating outside of a Las Vegas nightclub in February 2022, documents said.
Harris is identified in court documents as Kamara’s manager. Lammons played for the Kansas City Chiefs at the time.
The beating victim, Darnell Greene, told Las Vegas Metro police that he was waiting outside an elevator at Drai’s After Hours nightclub alongside a group of people, including the four suspects. The nightclub is in the basement of the Cromwell.
When the elevator doors opened, Kamara put his hand on the victim’s chest to stop him from entering the elevator, police said.
According to police, after the victim pushed Kamara’s hand off his chest, Kamara shoved him before another suspect, identified as Lammons, punched Greene and knocked him back against a wall. Video shows several people then stomping on Greene who is on the ground.
“In what part of that video do you see self-defense?” 8 News Now Investigator David Charns asked Kamara’s attorney David Chesnoff.
“I think you and the viewers should watch it, watch the trial and it will be explained then,” Chesnoff said. “We are looking forward to the trial and we’re looking forward to full vindication.”
Attorney Ross Goodman, who is representing Lammons, said the video shows Lammons slapping Greene and then pulling another man off him.
“If anyone was defending themselves it was Chris,” Goodman said. “His natural reaction was to with an open hand slap that individual. It was a measured response.”
The NFL allowed Kamara and Lammons to play in the 2022-2023 season.
“The press has reported this violent event as a ‘brawl.’ This was no brawl,” Tony Buzbee, Greene’s attorney said. “This was instead an unprovoked beating of an innocent man by a group of men lead by Mr. Kamara. Mr. Greene was only trying to get on an elevator and was beaten almost to death. Mr. Greene was asked to and in fact provided testimony in the grand jury proceeding. We will now wait to see what happens in the criminal matter and expect to see justice done.”
Greene is suing Kamara in a $10 million civil court in Louisiana. That case is stayed pending the criminal proceedings in Las Vegas, Buzbee said.
“We do not comment on the status of ongoing matters and cases that include pending law enforcement and legal activity,” an NFL spokesperson said last week. “We continue to monitor all developments in the matter which remains under review of the Personal Conduct Policy.”