Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens was filmed punching a man in a CVS pharmacy parking lot in what he says was an act of self-defense. Owens, who played in the NFL for 15 seasons, said he was trying to defuse the situation after a man began threatening him and a fan.
The incident happened in Inglewood, Calif., around 11:30 p.m. Saturday. TMZ obtained video and reported that a 49ers fan approached Owens inside the store and they had a friendly chat. Another man would show up and cause trouble. They all got out, and witnesses told TMZ that the assailant threatened to hit the men while Owens played peacemaker.
Owens told The Associated Press in a statement that the man “made offensive gestures and threatening statements” toward him and the fan.
“The attacker continued to threaten the fan like he did in the store,” Owens, a six-time Pro Bowler, told the AP. “Again, attempting to defuse the ongoing situation, I placed myself between the fan and the abuser. I made verbal demands asking the abuser to stop his threatening behavior.”
The man eventually took a punch at Owens, which made him feel “compelled to stop the abuser from getting more violent”. Owens punched him and the man fell to the ground. The fight did not continue after he got up. Authorities were not called to the scene, so Owens got in his car and drove off.
“Like everyone else, I was making a stop at CVS and was blindsided by the whole thing,” Owens said. “Unfortunately, I had to act in self-defense to end a threat to myself and the fan. I will try to make the most of this negative experience.”