"It would be a terrible sadness if an isolated incident could ruin a life."
-- Attorney Benjamin Brafman

These words were uttered by the attorney representing NFL player Plaxico Burress. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the story, Plaxico Burress is a wide receiver for the New York Giants who suffered a minor thigh injury in a Manhattan night club when the concealed gun he was allegedly toting accidentally went off. Mr. Burress has been charged with two counts of possessing a loaded firearm.

Of "Terrible Sadness" & "Isolated Incidents"

Mr. Brafman is absolutely right. It would be a "terrible sadness" if an "isolated" gun incident ruined a life. In New York City, carrying a concealed weapon is what's known as a Class C felony. If convicted on both counts, Mr. Burress faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 3 ½ years in jail even though it's his first offense. It would indeed be terribly sad if that proves to be the fate of Mr. Brafman's 31-year-old client.

But in lamenting this potential outcome as a "terrible sadness," Mr. Brafman is missing the larger point. The fact of the matter is that "isolated incidents" involving guns ruin lives all the time. What makes such "isolated incidents" "terribly sad" isn't that the person toting the gun gets punished; it's the fact that innocent people get killed and maimed.

When Mr. Burress stuck that unlicensed gun into the pocket of his sweat pants and brought it into a crowded club last Friday night, he was putting everyone in the establishment-including himself-at the risk of such an "isolated incident." Fortunately, and perhaps miraculously, the accidental discharge of the weapon didn't lead to such a result. In a very literal sense, all of those people in the club dodged a bullet.

The Shooting of NFL Players

Football is a violent game. Sadly, the men who play the game seem to have a hard time steering clear of violence off the field. In the past two decades, countless players have been busted for possession of firearms. Many others have shot a person or been shot themselves. Some of the latter include:

Sean Taylor: The Washington Redskins' safety was fatally shot by burglars who broke into his Miami home in November 2007. Ironically, at the time of his death, Mr. Taylor had just finished serving 18 months' probation for illegal possession of a firearm.

Richard Collier: The Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle was waiting in his Cadillac Escalade for two women outside a nightclub, when a man approached and fired more than a dozen shots into the vehicle striking Collier in the right leg. The leg had to be amputated and doctors don't think Collier will ever walk again.

Darrent Williams: The Denver Broncos' cornerback was leaving a Denver nightclub in the early A.M. hours of New Year's Day, 2007, when his limousine was sprayed with bullets in a drive-by shooting. Williams died of his wounds.

Steve Foley: On Sept. 3, 2006, the San Diego Chargers' linebacker was shot twice near his home by an off-duty police officer who had followed him for several miles after suspecting him of driving drunk. Foley's injuries caused him to miss the entire 2006 season.

Keith Davis: The Cowboys' defensive back was shot in the head and right thigh while driving on a Dallas Interstate on July 16, 2006 in what police believed was a car-jacking attempt. Davis would recover from his wounds and play in every game during the 2006 season.

Jerome McDougle: The Philadelphia Eagles' defensive end was shot in the abdomen during a robbery attempt in Miami on July 28, 2005. He missed the entire 2005 season but returned the next year.

Terrence Kiel: On July 4, 2003, the Chargers' defensive back was shot outside a Houston mall in an attempted car-jacking. Kiel was shot once in his ankle, once in the knee and once near the stomach. He went on to recover from his wounds and would eventually start seven games as a rookie in the 2003 season.

Keith Davis: The same Cowboys' defensive back shot in 2006 was shot in the elbow and hip in a separate incident outside a Dallas area strip club on June 29, 2003. Davis would make it to the first day of training camp but was cut that day by the Cowboys. The shooting came about a month after Coach Bill Parcells warned players about hanging out at places they weren't welcome.

Joey Porter: The Pittsburgh Steelers' linebacker was one of six people shot on Aug. 31, 2003 (one victim died of his wounds) outside a Denver sports bar. Porter was wounded in the left buttock. He recovered and went on to play 14 games that season.

Fred Lane: On July 6, 2000, the Carolina Panthers' running back was shot and killed by his wife during a domestic dispute. Lane's wife is serving a prison sentence after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Shane Curry: The Indianapolis Colts' defensive end was shot in the head and killed outside a Cincinnati nightclub on May 3, 1992, after a dispute regarding a blocked vehicle.

Conclusion

The story of Plaxico Burress is terribly sad. Nobody wants to see a young man go to jail for a first offense. But let's keep it real. The gun laws are there for a reason. Given the choice, you can bet that the players involved in the isolated incidents mentioned above would have gladly traded places with Mr. Burress.

Story Tools:  Email This Post  Print This Post Top