Free Antonio!
Giants brass had nothing to say about their former star, Plaxico Burress, as the knuckleheaded gunslinger prepared to throw himself on the mercy of a Manhattan grand jury today in hopes of averting a gun possession indictment.
But the team’s president slammed prosecutors for seeking an additional indictment against linebacker Antonio Pierce for allegedly failing to turn Burress’ blood-splattered, unregistered Glock over to cops after driving him to the hospital.
“We cannot understand the DA’s position that Antonio is subject to criminal charges,” Giants President John Mara said in a strongly-worded statement yesterday backing the linebacker and slamming Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau.
Plaxico and Pierce were side by side in the VIP vestibule of the Latin Quarter nightclub in Midtown last November, when Plax’s .40-caliber apparently slipped down from inside his waistband, and the player, who was holding a drink in his other hand, accidentally pulled the trigger while grabbing for it.
It was the shot heard ’round the NFL. The bullet went straight through Plax’s thigh, leaving him crumpled on the floor, bleeding and screaming. The bullet cost Burress his $35 million contract, and leaves him vulnerable to a mandatory minimum sentence of 3½ years prison for felony gun possession.
Now the same bullet is also threatening Pierce’s career. The grand jury now hearing evidence against the defensive star is weighing voting the same charge, felony gun possession, against the linebacker.
A club security guard stashed Plax’s Glock in the glove compartment of Pierce’s Cadillac Escalade before Pierce drove off to take his bleeding teammate to the hospital — and prosecutors may have flipped that guard to testify against Pierce, sources said.
Officials allege that after dropping Burress off at New York-Cornell hospital, Pierce drove back home to Totowa, NJ, first dropping the gun off at Plaxico’s estate in the same town.
“We in no way condone Antonio’s decision to be in a nightclub in Manhattan less than two days before a game,” Mara said, but noted, “Antonio reacted out of concern for the health and well-being of Plaxico Burress. His first priority was to make sure Plaxico received proper medical attention for what very well could have been a life-threatening wound.”
Pierce’s lawyer, Michael Bachner, declined to say whether Pierce will testify before the grand jury. But Burress’ lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said he’s bringing his guy in.
“He’s going to tell the truth about what happened that night, and he’s going to ask the grand jury not to indict him,” Brafman said.
“He’s going to ask them to believe that this unfortunate incident should not be used to ruin his life. He’s hoping the grand jury is compassionate.”