Panthers’ Beason countersues accuser

Jon Beason is countersuing a man who said he was punched by the Carolina Panthers linebacker at an uptown strip club after saying he saw Beason "doing (cocaine) at Lake Norman."

The new suit, filed Tuesday, claims Beason has been "injured in his good name, has suffered humiliation and mental distress, has been subjected to insults…"

The suit doesn’t say how much Beason is seeking, but says he has also incurred attorney’s fees and has “suffered in excess of $10,000.”

Beason was arrested on Nov. 30, two weeks after the man – 29-year-old Gregory Frye – said Beason punched him in the face at the Uptown Cabaret. Frye reported the incident to police on Nov. 16, but officers said there wasn’t enough evidence to arrest Beason. A magistrate ultimately issued the arrest warrant.

A day later, Frye sued Beason. Frye and his attorney could not be reached for comment. The charges were dropped on Dec. 11., and Mecklenburg District Attorney Bruce Lillie said in a statement "other than Mr. Frye’s statement, police were not able to obtain evidence that Mr. Beason was the assailant."

Beason, in his third pro season, is one of the Panthers’ team captains and is their leading tackler. He was chosen to play in the Pro Bowl the last two seasons and is regarded as one of the National Football League’s premier middle linebackers.

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(charlotteobserver.com)