If you recall back in 2008, depending on who you believe, Marvin Harrison went Frank Lucas on an enemy after a fight broke out outside of his Philadelphia club. The target, Dwight Dixon, always claimed that Harrison was the shooter. During the gun fight a bystander was injured and a child was hurt by broken glass.
Even though Harrison’s gun matched the ballistics of the gun that fired the shots, the DA at the time decided the case wasn’t strong enough to bring to a Grand Jury (said the witnesses weren’t cooperating). Ironically, Dixon was murdered a few months later while in his car outside of a diner close to where the original altercation took place. On his death bed he continued to say Harrison was responsible for both shootings.
Since then, the DA has been replaced and the new DA had not ruled out charging Harrison with the crimes, and Harrison himself might have made it easier for them during a traffic stop yesterday evening. ESPN.com has the details:
Harrison was stopped at approximately 5 p.m. on the 2700 block of Jefferson Avenue in Philadelphia about three blocks from a garage he owns, according to three law enforcement sources. The garage was the site of a 2008 shooting in which three people were injured. Two of the victims accused Harrison of firing the shots, but he has not been charged in the case.
The 37-year-old former Pro Bowl receiver was driving the wrong way down the one-way street in a Cadillac Escalade when the patrolman stopped him along with the driver of a second car that was trailing him, the sources said.
According to the law enforcement sources, the patrolman saw Harrison place something that appeared to be a weapon in the seat console of his car. When the officer asked him to step out of the vehicle, Harrison produced a car registration and a permit to carry a weapon, both of which were in order. When he was asked whether he had a weapon, however, he answered no, the sources said.
At that point, the sources added, the officer said that he had probable cause to search the vehicle and found a weapon in the seat console.
A lingering mystery from the initial shooting involving Dixon is three spent 9 mm shell casings that ended up in Dixon’s truck. Dixon said they came from a second weapon fired by Harrison, but no weapon was ever recovered.
The police department source said that as a matter of routine, Harrison’s gun will be tested to see whether it matches those casings. It was unclear Wednesday evening when the tests would be done.
For years, media outlets like ESPN promoted Harrison as the model receiver on and off the field, and while it is quite possible that Harrison was not the shooter in these incidents, it would be a bit naive to believe he wasn’t involved in some way.
Once again, this strengthens my argument that when you are talking about athletes in any sport, save your compliments just for the field. You want to say he is a great player, that is fine, but don’t go overboard and say an “athlete” is someone you would want your children to look up to because you never know.
Thinking logically, would you want your child to be more like T.O. or Harrison?
If you answer T.O., be careful … you might get shot.