Conflicting accounts of a shooting last April involving National Football League receiver Marvin Harrison have left prosecutors here unable to proceed with criminal charges in the case.
Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham said on Tuesday she cannot file charges because of "inherently untrustworthy and sometimes false statements" from witnesses.
"We are unable to proceed with a criminal prosecution," she said. "We have before us at least nine or so versions of what happened... We cannot vouch for the credibility of any of these witnesses."
The shooting took place last April 29 in the north Philadelphia neighbourhood where Harrison, a receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, owns a bar and a car wash.
Harrison and an unidentified 32-year-old man had a fistfight outside Playmakers, Harrison's bar about half a mile from his car wash.
The unidentified man later suffered a bullet wound to his hand while a two-year-old boy sustained a cut under an eye from flying glass when a stray bullet hit a car windshield.
Harrison admitted being involved in the fistfight but denies any involvement in the shooting.
Ballistics testing showed five shell casings found at the scene of the shooting came from a Belgian handgun owned by Harrison.
A civil case has also been filed against Harrison, whose Colts were eliminated from the NFL playoffs last Saturday by San Diego.
Harrison, a 13-year NFL veteran, made 60 catches for 636 yards and five touchdowns this season.
Copyright 2009 AFP American Edition
