Scary situation. NBA player Chris Copeland and his girlfriend Katrine Saltara were stabbed outside of NYC celebrity hot spot 1OAK early Wednesday, April 8.
The New York Daily News reported that the Indiana Pacers player, who previously played for the New York Knicks, was stabbed in the abdomen. Saltara and another pal Catherine Somani were also stabbed and sustained injuries in the arm, leg, and abdomen.
According to the paper, the fracas began when Copeland, 31, and Saltara, 28, started arguing outside the club in Chelsea. Another clubgoer Shezoy Bleary reportedly joined the dispute, pulled a knife, and stabbed the NBA star.
Photos from the incident show a bloodied sidewalk. TMZ also posted a cell phone video of Copeland talking to cops. Copeland and his girlfriend were taken to Bellevue Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Bleary, 22, was arrested along with Atlanta Hawks players Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha, who reportedly interfered with the police investigation. According to the Daily News, the players refused to move when authorities arrived at the scene.
1OAK released a statement regarding the incident, saying they were “fully cooperative with the NYPD.”
Pacers president Larry Bird also addressed the episode on the team’s website on Wednesday. “We are aware that Chris Copeland was injured early this morning in New York City,” the NBA legend wrote. “We are still gathering information and will update when we know more. Our thoughts are with Chris and those injured.”
Copeland and the Pacers were in town to play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
