Jan 6, 2009 9:01 pm US/Eastern
Prosecutor: Harrison's Gun Used In April Shooting
PHILADELPHIA (AP) ―
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Marvin Harrison #88 of the Indianapolis Colts (file)
Andy Lyons/Getty Images
A gun owned by Indianapolis Colts star Marvin Harrison was used in an April shooting, but investigators still can't determine who pulled the trigger, the city's chief prosecutor said Tuesday.
Five of the six bullet casings found at the North Philadelphia shooting scene came from Harrison's weapon, but investigators have conflicting witness accounts of who fired it, Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham said.
No charges have been filed in the April 28 shooting and the investigation remains open.
"It's not enough to say that a gun fired a bullet," Abraham said. "I'm not prepared to say who fired the gun." She added that she thinks she knows who the gunman was, but doesn't have the evidence to prove it.
The victim has sued Harrison and law enforcement will be keeping tabs on that proceeding to see if any new evidence emerges that could help the criminal investigation, Abraham said.
Harrison's attorney, Jerome Brown, declined to comment Tuesday. The receiver's agent, Tom Condon, said he hadn't talked to his client about the matter in some time, but remained confident Harrison had done nothing wrong.
"Marvin asserted that he hadn't done anything and that he was not involved," Condon said. "I was confident that Marvin wasn't involved."
Colts president Bill Polian lauded Abraham's decision not to file charges at this time.
"We are pleased with this development and defer to her ability to weigh the actual evidence," he said in a statement. "It would not be appropriate for us to have further comment at this time."
The San Diego Chargers eliminated the Colts in the first round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday, but Abraham said that had nothing to do with the timing of Tuesday's news conference.
The shooting happened near a car wash owned by Harrison that is about a half mile from a bar he also owns. A child also was hit in the eyes by broken glass, but was treated and released from a hospital, investigators said.
The wide receiver was questioned by police soon after. Harrison said he was at the garage at the time of the shooting; that he knew the victim, Dwight Dixon; and that the two had been in a fist fight two weeks earlier after Dixon tried to enter his bar with a gun, Abraham said.
Harrison said his gun had been at his suburban home on the day of the shooting and that it had not been fired since it was bought a year or two earlier, Abraham added.
Dixon sued Harrison in September, claiming he sustained "serious and permanent injuries" to his arm and body and a "severe shock" to his nervous system.
Harrison, who played at Philadelphia's Roman Catholic High, has owned the bar, Playmakers, since July 2004, according to state records.
The 36-year-old receiver has played all of his 12 seasons with the Colts and is the franchise's record holder in every major receiving category. He is one of only four players in league history to top 1,000 receptions.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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