Dwight Howard Investigated By Georgia Police For Hitting Six-Year-Old Son
Cobb County authorities are verifying facts on the allegation of child abuse against Houston Rockets starting centre Dwight Howard. Lead investigator Sgt. Dana Pierce revealed that the county was being tasked to look into allegations that Howard whipped his six-year-old son with a belt buckle that left bruises on the boy's extremeties.
The investigation started Oct. 1st and was looked into by Florida's Department of Children and families but no formal case was lodged after evidence and leads to strengthen the allegations ran out. Apparently new proof will substantiate the accusations made by the mother of Howard's son, Royce Reed. Reed revealed that in August the basketball player hit their seven-year-old son with a belt buckle that resulted to bruises.
Ryan Parker of the Los Angeles Times confirmed that the Georgia police is taking over the matter and will verify the medical report filed by the DCF which said that the bruises found in the boy are consistent with the marks that will be left behind after being struck by "the buckle end of a belt with excessive force." The former NBA Defensive Player of the Year's attorney, Oskar Markus said that he is confident of clearing the name of his client given that Reed is just using her son to shop baseless accusations into Georgia after the Florida authorities found legal merits. Howard and Reed have parted ways and the former Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers star has a restraining order against her former lover.
"(The child's mother) Royce Reed is now shopping her baseless allegations to authorities in Georgia after the Florida DCF case was closed. Even though the allegations have already been found to have no merit, when a complaint about the welfare of a child is made to law enforcement, an investigation is commenced," Markus said in statement through USA Today Sports
The National Basketball Association already released its official statement and said that the organization has been made aware of the involvement of the Houston Rockets star in the controversy. NBA executive vice president of communications Mika Bass said that they are conducting an independent inquiry on the matter. The NBA is looking closely on the case given that the NFL recently suspended one of its players in Adrian Peterson for the rest of the season for pleading guilty to a child abuse case.
