‘I am disappointed in myself’: Patriots great Willie McGinest speaks out after felony arrest

Bryan Lambert
·2 min read
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Willie McGinest has delivered his first public remarks since the Patriots Hall of Famer was arrested on a felony assault with a deadly weapon charge in Los Angeles.

The arrest stemmed from a fight at a Los Angeles nightclub McGinest was involved in earlier this month.

“First and foremost, I want to offer my deepest apology for my lapse in judgment and behavior on December 9 at a restaurant in West Hollywood,” said McGinest in a statement. “To my family, community, friends and youth I mentor, please know I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility.”

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, McGinest was charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon in connection with an altercation at a West Hollywood nightclub on December 9.

TMZ video from inside the nightclub shows the 51-year-old former linebacker involved in a scuffle with other patrons.

McGinest turned himself in to authorities at 7:30 a.m. in West Hollywood on December 19 and then posted bail set at $30,000 at 9:45 a.m.

“Most of all, I am disappointed in myself, as I know this is an isolated incident and is not reflective of my faith, role as a father, life’s body of work, or the role model I’ve worked hard to become,” McGinest continued in his Friday statement. “It is personally devastating that decades of community service, youth engagement mentoring and professional development would become an afterthought in a single moment that should have never happened.”

McGinest, a Long Beach native who played college football at USC, was the first Patriots draft pick of the Rober Kraft-ownership era in 1994. The versatile linebacker/lineman became a lynchpin of the Patriots’ great defense of the early 2000′s. A three-time Super Bowl champion, McGinest entered the Patriots’ Hall of Fame in 2015. His 16 career postseason sacks are still an NFL record.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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