Fun as it always is to find out that a celebrity is into poker, there are some folks who may give some players pause. Alleged violent felons are among them.
Cody Latimer, wide receiver for the Washington Redskins, has finally been fired from his job. This follows the decision of the court to further delay his trial into mid-September. He is dealing with allegations ofassault in the second degree, illegal discharge of a firearm, prohibited use of weapons, menacing, and reckless endangerment. Three of those charges are felonies.
The alleged crime took place back in March at a weekend poker game. Latimer’s lawyer has intimated that someone at the game may have been involved in a sexual assault investigation in which Latimer’s four-year-old child was the victim.
But on the whole, the entire scenario sounded a real mess.
Witness for the offense
According tothe implausibly named Roderick English — who hosted the game — Latimer got into a fight with another player at the table.
This fight doesn't appear to have been over a bad beat or slow roll. Instead, it concerned the possible sexual assault of Latimer's four-year-old son. The details of the son's case are neither abundant nor clear. And this second case does not appear closed yet.
In Latimer's defense, just the possibility of truth in the accusations would provide plenty of motive to our footballer turned poker star turned gunslinger.
According to reports, English broke the fight up and cleared the room. Everyone was sent home including Latimer. However, Latimer returned with a gun half an hour later. Blaming English for the fight, he threatened him with the firearm.
Eventually, English restored calm again. Latimer removed the magazine and the chambered round. A peaceful-ish resolution.
And one that did not last.
Within a few minutes, Latimer had the gun reloaded and let off two shots. English got pistol-whipped as he tried to pin the wide receiver against a wall. And the cops were en route.
Curriculum vitiī
Why the Washington football club has chosen to release Latimer now rather than waiting for the trial is still unclear. The early release may stem from the fact that his charges have rendered him “exempt." That is — he may not be able to play while the charges dangle over him, and he was only on a one year contract.
The cut seems more likely to be due to practical roster-based considerations. In the end, it looks like English's poker game has deferred Latimer's career for a season. Let's just hope Latimer's got a knack for cards to fill the time.
