Timberwolves forward plans to sue accuser
Published 12:02 am Wednesday, August 20, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS — The agent for free-agent forward Dante Cunningham says his client plans to file a civil lawsuit against the woman who accused him of domestic assault.
After a four-month investigation, authorities dismissed a charge of felony domestic assault against Cunningham on Tuesday, saying “there was no proof beyond a reasonable doubt for the charged offense.”
“Dante Cunningham is innocent,” agent Joel Bell told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “He plans to bring civil charges against her not only to clear his name but to show people it’s wrong to abuse an already overworked legal system.
“Dante is outraged that the taxpayers of Hennepin County had to pay for countless hours of attorney and police time because somebody made a false claim for their own personal interest.”
Cunningham, who played the last two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, was charged in April after he was accused of choking his then-girlfriend at their suburban Minneapolis home. He became a free agent on July 1, but had to put his search for a new contract on hold while the investigation was conducted.
Cunningham had talks with several teams earlier this summer, including the Timberwolves. But all of them told him they had to wait to see how the legal process played out before they decided on making a commitment to him with a contract.
“That’s been the most nerve-racking thing, knowing there were teams interested but they couldn’t make any offers,” Cunningham told The AP.
Cunningham also heard boos from his home crowd while playing the final month of the season after his arrest.
“I just hated the fact of getting booed,” Cunningham said. “I just hated my fans not knowing the truth.”
The 27-year-old Cunningham averaged 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Wolves last season.