New York Jets defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman is being investigated by New Jersey police after a woman claimed he slapped her, Wednesday afternoon.
Citing a Morristown PD police report, TMZ stated that the incident occurred at the outdoor bar of Pazzo Pazzo restaurant in Morristown, NJ. The 28-year-old woman who filed the report stated that Thurman began by hitting on her and offering to buy her drinks despite her efforts to make it clear she was not interested.
The woman claimed that the 58-year-old Thurman showed an “aggressive demeanor towards her”, the two exchanged words and gestures and then “out of nowhere Thurman slapped her across the face.”
The woman then stated “You just hit me.” The police report then stated that after the alleged slap, Thurman threw his hands in the air and walked away.
Yet, the Pazzo Pazzo manager Dennis Henry told NY Daily News that witnesses, including a bartender, said Thurman did not slap the woman.
“The allegations are actually false,” Henry stated. “They had a conversation. I guess the lady, she was kind of drunk. She was pretty much the crazy person and accused him of slapping her when there were 13 witnesses including my bartender [who said it didn’t happen].”
The woman claims she was not injured but filed the police report out of concern for other women Thurman could strike in the future, TMZ stated.
With eight years in the NFL as a defensive back, Thurman has been on the Jet’s staff since 2009 with head coach Rex Ryan’s arrival, Sporting News stated.
The Jet’s have not responded to TMZ’s request for comment on the report.
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