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Pacers' Chris Copeland stabbed, 2 Hawks arrested in NYC club incident, according to reports

Multiple NBA players were involved in what appears to be a wild scene at a nightclub in Chelsea.

By SB Nation NBA News Updated
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland was stabbed and a companion was slashed by a knife in a New York City nightclub incident on Wednesday, according to a report by the New York Daily News. Two Atlanta Hawks -- Pero Antic and Thabo Sefolosha -- were also reportedly arrested on charges of obstructing justice as a part of the incident.

Details have been emerging throughout Wednesday morning concerning what happened, and the New York Post has cited police sources confirming the report. With more information coming out, here's everything that's been reported so far.

What we know

Copeland and a female companion named Katrine Saltara were rushed to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition Wednesday night following an incident at the 1 Oak nightclub in New York City, per the Daily News. Reports initially referred to the woman as Copeland's wife, but that is not accurate, according to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.

A suspect, 22-year-old Shezoy Bleary, has been taken into police custody and charged with felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon. A third victim, reportedly a friend of Saltara's, was also stabbed during the incident.

The Pacers released a statement acknowledging Copeland's injury: "Chris Copeland suffered a knife wound to his left elbow and abdomen this morning in New York City. He is currently in stable condition at a New York hospital."

A more frightening update came from the Indianapolis Star's Candace Buckner later in the night:

Copeland and the Pacers were in New York preparing to play his former team, the Knicks, on Wednesday. The Hawks had beaten the Suns in Atlanta on Tuesday before flying to New York, where they'll face the Nets on Wednesday. Antic and Sefolosha could only have physically been in NYC for a couple hours before the arrests.

Antic has been charged with obstructing governmental administration, menacing and disorderly conduct, while Sefolosha has been charged resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct. Sefolosha "charged at an officer," and Antic "physically grabbed another police officer," according to the New York Times. It reportedly took four cops to get Sefolosha under control.

During the altercation Sefolosha broke his ankle and will be out for the season. The injury leaves the Hawks very thin at the wing, as Sefolosha was expected to provide perimeter defense when DeMarre Carroll rested.

The Pacers offered a status update on Copeland, saying he's recovering from surgery and is in stable condition while the player himself has issued a statement in which he expressed regret about what happened.

What we don't know

The details behind why the incident occurred are unclear.

Copeland and Saltara were reportedly arguing outside the club around 4 a.m. when the Pacers forward accused Bleary of eavesdropping on their conversation, according to the Post. The two sides then got into "a heated argument, which Saltara tried to break up," when Bleary pulled out a knife and used it to attack Copeland and Saltara.

The New York Times also reports that Copeland helped initiate the incident. "The police said they believed the attacker had been trying to listen in on a conversation involving Mr. Copeland, and that touched off the violent encounter," the Times reports.

That information goes against a report from Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report, who paints a much different picture:

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