Did NFL linebacker Junior Galette strike a woman with a belt?
NEW ORLEANS - A video of a wild fight on a beach appears to show New Orleans Saints linebacker Junior Galette striking a woman with a belt, but his lawyer denies it's Galette, reports CBS affiliate WWL.
The video was posted to YouTube in March 2013, but the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the Saints recently became aware of the video and sent it to the NFL's league offices.
The video, which is just under two minutes long, shows a group fighting on a beach. About 15 seconds in, the man alleged to be Galette strikes a woman with a belt at least twice. Just over one minute later, the same man appears to punch another person.
Galette's attorney, Ralph Whalen, told WWL that the person in the video is not Galette.
"The thing was posted earlier on (another) web site and they took it down because they were convinced it wasn't Junior," Whalen said.
Saints Vice President Greg Bensel said the NFL will review the video and decide whether to penalize Galette.
"There is a process this will go through at the league-office level and we are waiting on that to be determined," Bensel said.
Galette was already under investigation by the NFL for another off-the-field incident this year. He was arrested at his Louisiana home for simple battery involving domestic violence on Jan. 5. That charge was later dismissed, because the alleged victim was not a member of Galette's household, which is a requirement for domestic violence charges in Louisiana, according to the Times-Picayune.
The woman in that case filed a civil suit in February.
Galette has been with the Saints since 2010.