A day after Adam Jones was arrested and charged with multiple misdemeanors and a felony, the Bengals cornerback spoke in his defense.
"I'll let everything play out in court," Jones told reporters after being released on bond Wednesday moring. "Obviously, without getting into it, none of this makes sense."
Jones, 33, was arrested in on suspicion misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct charges early Tuesday morning in Cincinnati, a spokeswoman with the Hamilton County (Ohio) Justice Center confirmed to NFL.com. Jones later was charged with felony harassment for allegedly spitting on a nurse at the justice center following his arrest, according to court documents.
According to information posted on the Hamilton County Sheriff Office's website, Jones was arrested just before 1 a.m. ET. The felony charge is for harassment with a bodily substance, according to the county clerk's office. The three charges he was arrested for -- obstructing official business, disorderly conduct and assault -- are all misdemeanors.
"For touching a guy, like this, I got arrested," Jones said, while reportedly demonstrating lightly poking someone on the arm. "We'll see how it goes. I'm more than (confident) that this will be dismissed pretty soon.
"I'm sorry that this happened. It would be different if I was beating people's a--, but for touching someone?"
Jones has a documented history of encounters with the law during his career, though he had largely stayed out of trouble since joining the Bengals, save for a 2013 arrest for alleged assault of which he was later found not guilty. He was suspended for the 2007 season after multiple legal issues and suspended for a few games in 2008 for violating the league's personal-conduct policy.
The West Virginia product recorded 54 tackles, seven passes defensed and one interception in 2016, his first year of a three-year, $22 million contract ($6 million guaranteed) signed in March of 2016. The new deal came on the heels of Jones' first Pro Bowl season in 2015.
Marvin Lewis commented on the situation on Tuesday evening when speaking with the Cincinnati Enquirer.
"Obviously the events of last evening are not something that you want to have happen," Lewis said during a live internet show. "Unfortunately it did. Our people are investigating that. You don't want charges against any of your people. ... Our people will investigate, our security as well as the law enforcement here locally and it will play out and everything will kind of go from there.
"Adam came here from about a low as you could get and we gave him an opportunity, and he has done well with that opportunity. This latest thing will have to play out."
