Lawyer: Video shows Aaron Donald did not beat up man in South Side brawl

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Apr. 16—An attorney for Pittsburgh native and NFL defensive standout Aaron Donald says the L.A. Rams player helped save the man accusing him of assault from further injury, contradicting claims from this week Donald beat up the man in a South Side melee.

Attorney Casey White said there's no dispute Devincent Spriggs was beaten up over the weekend but contends Donald did not cause those injuries and in fact likely lessened them.

"The video clearly shows that Aaron Donald did not, in fact, assault Mr. Spriggs," White said Friday.

Allegations against Donald surfaced Wednesday when Todd Hollis, an attorney for Spriggs, 26, called for an investigation into Spriggs's claims Donald assaulted him late Saturday or early Sunday.

Spriggs alleged he bumped into another man at an alley outside Cosmo on Carson, and the man, whom he identified as Donald, punched and kicked him.

"My client was allegedly assaulted by Mr. Donald," Hollis said Wednesday. "We've contacted the police, and we're asking them to do an investigation."

White, who has been retained by Donald, accused Spriggs of targeting Donald for money.

"I think it's obvious that Mr. Spriggs, two days later during recovery from injuries, realized that Aaron Donald was around when he was injured, and I think he saw dollar signs," he said. "I think this was, in plain English, a money grab."

Hollis on Friday said his production manager found "a longer version of the video."

"It appears as if the video has been cut or spliced," he said. "I'm interested to know where the original video came from so that we can see the original copy."

White said Spriggs and his client had their first encounter at a house party on East Carson Street. He said Spriggs elbowed Donald in the back and became combative.

"He started yelling, in a nonsense manner, 'You think I meant to do that, you think I meant to do that,' in a real loud, spit-flying, obviously intoxicated, what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it type thing," White said.

Later, in Wright Way, a small side alley near East Carson Street, White said Donald encountered Spriggs again. He said Donald initially thought Spriggs had a gun in his hand, but it turned out to be a large liquor bottle, which Spriggs swung at Donald, who ducked but was grazed on his head.

White said friends grabbed Donald to keep him from the melee, and he eventually broke free and began "tearing people off" of Spriggs and protecting him.

"The other people in and around the situation jumped to Aaron's defense and quickly diffused the situation by using physical force against Mr. Spriggs, who was using, it could be argued, deadly force," he said.

White said he's been in contact with the Pittsburgh police investigator handling the case. He said the investigator told him in an email, "I agree thus far that there is no evidence from that video that shows Donald assaulting the victim."

He said there are witnesses who have come forward corroborating Donald's version of events. His investigators have taken statements from some, he said, "but the video really speaks for itself."

Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Cara Cruz said the investigation is ongoing. No charges had been filed against Donald as of Friday afternoon.

Pittsburgh police were notified of the incident Sunday afternoon, when they responded to UPMC Mercy to speak with a man who wanted to report an assault, Cruz said. Cruz did not identify Spriggs as the man in question, but Hollis confirmed Spriggs is the man from the police report.

Donald, who plays defensive tackle for the L.A. Rams after a standout career at the University of Pittsburgh and Penn Hills High School, couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

"We are aware of the reports regarding Aaron Donald. We are collecting more information and will have no further comment at this time," Rams spokesman Artis Twyman said Wednesday in a statement.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter .