What to Know
- NYPD officials confirmed there is an active investigation regarding the rape allegation against former Knicks player Kristaps Porzingis
- On Saturday, an attorney for Kristaps Porzingis acknowledged that a woman has accused the NBA star of rape,
- However, the attorney says the Dallas Mavericks forward "unequivocally" denies the allegation
NYPD officials confirmed there is an active investigation regarding the rape allegation against former Knicks player Kristaps Porzingis.
“We are aware of the allegations in the paper. What I will say there is an active Special Victims investigation, but beyond that, I will not get into any specifics,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said during a Monday press conference unrelated to the matter.
Shea did not elaborate any further on the investigation or the accusation against Porzingis.
On Saturday, an attorney for Kristaps Porzingis acknowledged that a woman has accused the NBA star of rape, but says the Dallas Mavericks forward "unequivocally" denies the allegation, News 4 New York's sister station NBC 5 reported.
Lawyer Roland Riopelle said the claim against the player was part of an extortion attempt that is being investigated by the FBI.
Citing unidentified law enforcement officials, the New York Post and other news organizations reported earlier that a woman went to police Thursday and said Porzingis raped her in his Manhattan apartment last year while he was playing for the Knicks.
Local
While playing for the Knicks last year, Porzingis suffered a major knee injury during a game at Madison Square Garden against the Milwaukee Bucks that the Knicks lost. He then went home and invited the woman to his luxury Manhattan apartment where she alleges she was sexually assaulted, the Post said the woman told police.
"We made a formal referral to federal law enforcement on December 20th, 2018, based on the accuser's extortionate demands," Riopelle said in a statement.
The attorney says the NBA was also notified.
Porzingis, a 23-year-old native of Latvia, was traded to the Mavericks in January. But he's not expected to play with the team until next season while he recovers from the injury.
The Dallas Mavericks previously told sister station NBC 5 they have no comment on the investigation.
