Update (January 22, 2020): A Maryland police chief has suspended one of his officers for taking a video of an arrest involving former NBA star Delonte West and posting it to the internet.
The video, along with others floating around Twitter and Instagram, drew huge views across social media and prompted an outcry from West's former coaches and teammates.
The video showed officers asking a handcuffed West and another man questions about a fight that took place in Maryland a few miles away from Washington D.C. on Monday.
"Why'd you hit him? Did he attack you first — self-defense — or did you hit him?" an officer asks in one of the videos.
"Walking down the street, and he approached me with a gun," the 36-year-old West answered.
In a statement, Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski said they realized that one of the videos floating around social media came from one of the officers involved on Tuesday and they are currently investigating the situation.
Stawinski told TMZ that the officer "will be dealt with harshly" if it is revealed that he took the video and posted it to social media.
The internet reacted with horror when videos emerged West and another man having a fight in the middle of a highway in Maryland on Monday. West and the unidentified man were detained, but both declined to press charges and were released after about 45 minutes.
Apparently Delonte West was seen getting beat up in the street this Morning. I went to school with him and it’s crazy to see just how his life has gone downhill since the NBA. pic.twitter.com/chm6Sbu9h6
— Measha⚡️ (@N90sKindOfWorld) January 20, 2020
West spent eight years in the NBA but has struggled with his mental health since retiring in 2012, revealing in 2015 that he has bipolar disorder. Over the last five years, multiple videos have leaked to social media showing West disheveled and troubled.
Many of his former teammates and coaches released statements expressing sadness at the state of West's life.
— Jameer Nelson (@jameernelson) January 21, 2020
Over the past several hours I have talked with many who are willing to help – please read and embrace Jameer’s wisdom – we are reaching out to our basketball network to get the professional help Delonte needs. This is so very painful. https://t.co/8IAuTdzCc9
— Phil Martelli (@PhilMartelli) January 21, 2020
West's former agent, Aaron Goodwin, told TMZ that West is in recovery with his family but that he "desperately needs medical attention."
Goodwin said, "West has a support system around him but his close friends and family members need more help to keep Delonte safe and out of trouble," according to TMZ.
Original (January 21, 2020): A video of former NBA player Delonte West has some folks rallying behind him to get help for what appears to be his deteriorating mental state.
The former NBA guard was captured on video babbling incoherently while sitting handcuffed on a street curb. The video was released on Monday and has since gone viral on social media, reports ESPN.
Phil Martelli, West's former coach at Saint Joseph's, expressed his concern by asking well-wishers to keep West in their thoughts. Former teammate Jameer Nelson also expressed his dismay on Twitter.
Over the past several hours I have talked with many who are willing to help – please read and embrace Jameer’s wisdom – we are reaching out to our basketball network to get the professional help Delonte needs. This is so very painful. https://t.co/8IAuTdzCc9
— Phil Martelli (@PhilMartelli) January 21, 2020
Martelli also confirmed that he was in the process of getting West help, reports USA Today.
In the video, West is seen shirtless and with his hands behind his back. He is sitting on a sidewalk while a person off-camera asks him a series of questions about an apparent dispute. The person is heard asking, "Why did you hit him? Did he attack you first in self-defense or did you hit him?"
This is not funny ???? #socialmedia I'm sure some of your family members are battling with the same demons. #DelonteWest
pic.twitter.com/rulc1bYR69— Own Your Masters (@ThaArchitect) January 21, 2020
West explains that he was walking down the street when he was approached by a man with a gun in his possession. West then proceeds to babble nonsensically.
Martelli coached West and Nelson at Saint Joseph's for three years. The Saint Joseph's team played in back-to-back tournaments during the 2003-2004 season. The team was undefeated until losing to Oklahoma State in the Elite 8.
West played in the NBA from 2004-2012. During his career, he played for Boston, Seattle and was a former teammate to LeBron James in Cleveland.
This isn't West's first altercation that gained traction in the media. In 2010, he was suspended for 10 games after he pleaded guilty to gun charges in Maryland. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and wearing, carrying and transporting a handgun.
The former NBA player also chronicled his challenges with mental health and how he wished to play in the NBA again after his challenging career — which included a stint in the D league.
"Of course it’s tough to deal with because it affects your career and it affects your earning power. I’m not a young man, but I still have a lot of basketball left in me at a high level. There’s plenty of time for me to earn that contract and earn the trust of a team that wants to invest in me more than one season. I’m up to that task," West told the Boston Globe in 2013.
"I feel completed as a person and as a man, and all I need is an opportunity and I don’t think any team is going to regret it. I know my game is going to speak for itself and who I am as a person, I just need to get somewhere. If it’s guaranteed, nonguaranteed, it doesn’t matter. Teams will know what I’m about and what I bring to the court. I am going to be guaranteed, anyway. Teams haven’t seen me in a year, but that’s only helped me, not hurt me," West stated as he expressed hope about getting his career back on track after getting married and becoming a father.
