Just wanted to share this article from the Free Press if you haven't seen it yet. Ya know something that is kinda funny, this happened on Joy Rd. isn't that just a little ironic, you know strip club... Joy Rd., oh lighten-up its not like he going to do any jail time!
Lions' Rogers accused of criminal sexual conduct
June 12, 2007
BY BEN SCHMITT, AMBER HUNT and NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS
Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers -- arguably the team's best player -- is being investigated for allegedly groping a woman in her dressing room at a Detroit strip club.
Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, said her office received a request for an arrest warrant from Detroit police Monday. No charges have been issued.
"We will proceed as usual, interviewing the alleged victim and any other potential witnesses," Miller said.
Miller said the warrant request accused Rogers, 28, of criminal sexual conduct. Depending on the degree, the charge can cover a wide range of sex crimes, from groping to rape.
The woman, who lives in Westland, told police that the 6-foot-4, 345-pound Rogers walked into her dressing room and forcibly groped her, authorities said. The incident reportedly occurred at 1:15 a.m. Friday at The Players Den on Joy Road on the city's west side.
According to the police report, the woman said Rogers asked her, "Do you know who I am?" during the incident. The report also states that she told police that she called for help, only to be told by others in the club that Rogers was intoxicated and she shouldn't worry about it.
Club manager Kevin Barlow told Free Press reporting partner Local 4 that his security team didn't know about the alleged disturbance.
"No one was aware of a problem that night," he said.
Officials said Rogers had a handgun in his waistband but didn't pull it out. It wasn't known whether he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
The woman's identity wasn't released Monday, and the Free Press generally does not report the names of purported victims of sex crimes.
"We are gathering information," Lions senior vice president Bill Keenist said in an e-mail. "We'll have no further comment at this time."
Rogers' agent, Kennard McGuire, didn't return calls seeking comment.
The Lions drafted Rogers out of Texas in the second round in 2001. He has twice been named to the Pro Bowl, most recently after the 2005 season, when he recorded a career-high 5 1/2 sacks.
But critics say Rogers doesn't get the most out of his ability because he doesn't work hard all the time, and last season was his worst in the NFL.
After playing in the first six games, he served a four-game suspension for taking a banned dietary supplement. He had knee surgery during the suspension and didn't come back after he was eligible to play again.
Rogers didn't show up in Allen Park at the start of a voluntary off-season conditioning program in March. But after speaking to Lions coach Rod Marinelli, he came a week later. Rogers has worked in the weight room and gone through individual drills, although he didn't practice while rehabbing knee and shoulder injuries.
Marinelli has spoken glowingly about Rogers this off-season and emphasized how important the defensive line is to the franchise.
Rogers rarely speaks to the media, but he held an upbeat session with a group of reporters last month.
"I just feel high expectations will bring about more prosperous things," he said then. "The higher you set the bar and the closer you can get to it, the higher you achieve.
"I'm happy that (Marinelli) has so many expectations for me. I'm not going to do anything but try to live up to them."
Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.
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