Celebrity Mound

Tila Tequila’s attorney on Tuesday called San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman’s explanation of an altercation with the reality star that led to his arrest “spin” and predicted it would be discredited.

Attorney Alan S. Gutman said in a statement that Merriman’s public comments that he was trying to protect Tequila, who he thought was drunk, amount to another attack on his client.

“Shawne Merriman and his advisors have decided that the best defense is a good offense, attacking Tila Tequila in the press with a lot of calculated spin to cover up his illegal and indefensible actions,” Gutman’s statement read.

However, society won’t tolerate a physical assaulting on a young woman who weighs 93 pounds by an All-Pro linebacker who weighs 270 pounds, he said.

Merriman was arrested early Sunday after Tequila accused him of choking and throwing her while she was at his suburban San Diego home. Tequila signed a citizen’s arrest warrant accusing Merriman of battery and false imprisonment. Both are felonies.

Tequila, whose real name is Tila Nguyen, is best known for “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila,” which ran for two seasons on MTV. The bisexual dating show featured men and women vying for Tequila’s affections. She has also modeled for Playboy and other men’s magazines.

Prosecutors will have to decide whether to press charges, and Merriman and his attorney, Todd Macaluso, have said they expect him to be vindicated. Macaluso did not immediately return an e-mail message seeking comment Tuesday night.

Merriman issued a statement Sunday denying wrongdoing and saying he was trying to keep Tequila from leaving his home because she appeared to be intoxicated.

“I in no way caused any harm to Ms. Nguyen, however, paramedics were called and she was examined but no injuries were reported,” Merriman’s statement read.

Merriman is one of the NFL’s hardest-hitting players and is nicknamed “Lights Out” for his savage hits.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection has been getting back into shape after having season-ending knee surgery following the 2008 opener.

“It is never justifiable to brutally assault, choke, strike and imprison a woman,” Gutman wrote in the statement. “Once the truth is fully revealed, Mr. Merriman’s fantastic story of how he was trying to keep Ms. Tequila safe will be completely discredited.”

San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested last night after allegedly roughing up his girlfriend, noted internet person Tila Tequlia. Way to start the season strong, buddy.

Merriman, who missed all but one game last season with knee problems, was arrested in front of his own home about 3:45 a.m. this morning after Tequila (sigh) accused him of choking her and restraining her when she tried to leave the house. She went to the hospital, he went to jail. Both have apparently been released.

The possibly roid-raged linebacker recently expressed admiration for Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount and his sucker punching ways, stating “I want to punch a bunch of guys but i would never risk getting suspended and fined i love my $.” Apparently, Merriman has not read the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, because the strictures against guy punching also include women. If you think drunk driving, shooting yourself in the leg, and dog murder are frowned upon, I’m sure Roger Goodell has been itching to take a very strong stand against domestic violence. Maybe Shawne is trying to see just how many games he can miss and still make the Pro Bowl.

Because Tequila and Merriman are both lunatics who are obsessed with Twitter, you can probably find more updates there in the near future.

Here’s a video of Merriman leaving jail:

Merriman, 25, was taken into custody and booked into the central jail at about 8:30 a.m. He was released shortly after 11 a.m. Caldwell said she didn’t know if he posted bail or was released on his own recognizance.

The linebacker’s lawyer talked briefly with reporters outside the San Diego County Jail downtown Sunday. He denied the allegations and claimed that Merriman and Nguyen were at a party at his Poway home with at least 14 other people.

“During the evening Ms. Tequila was extremely intoxicated, inebriated and Mr. Merriman did everything he could to assist her in arranging for transportation to leave his home. At no time did Mr. Merriman assault her; at no time did Mr. Merriman keep her against her will. His intentions were nothing but good,” Merriman’s attorney Todd Macaluso said.

Tequila requested an ambulance and was transported to Pomerado Hospital. She has since been released.

Caldwell said Sunday that deputies confirmed that Tequila had been drinking.

Tequila, whose real name is Tila Nguyen, is best known for “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila,” which ran for two seasons on MTV. The bisexual dating show featured men and women vying for Tequila’s affections. She has also modeled for Playboy and other men’s magazines.

Scott E. Leemon, an attorney for Tequila, said in a statement that neither she nor her representatives would comment publicly on the incident.

Stingaree management officials confirmed Sunday that Merriman and Tequila were a birthday celebration with friends in the Penthouse of the nightclub until 2 a.m. when the nightclub closed.

“They seemed in good spirits throughout the evening and were enjoying themselves. There was no outward indication of any problem between the two of them,” Stingaree spokesperson Lauren Clifford said.

The Chargers, picked by some as Super Bowl favorites, open the regular season a week from Monday night at Oakland. Players had been off since after Friday night’s exhibition finale against San Francisco. They are due back at practice on Monday.

“It’s disappointing to hear about the issue involving Shawne Merriman. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and let the legal process run its course,” General Manager of the San Diego Chargers A.J. Smith said in a statement released on Sunday afternoon.
The Chargers have faced a string of negative publicity after several arrests.

Chargers defensive tackle Jamal Williams was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving on Feb. 1., but the San Diego City Attorney’s office decided to charge him with misdemeanor reckless driving after his blood-alcohol level showed 0.07 percent, under the state limit of 0.0

Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson was arrested for investigation of DUI on Jan. 6, five days before San Diego’s playoff loss at Pittsburgh.

In 2006, there were seven run-ins with the law by Chargers players, including linebacker Steve Foley’s shooting by an off-duty Coronado police officer who suspected him of drunken driving, and two other players who were arrested for investigation of DUI.
Besides the arrests, linebacker Shawne Merriman was suspended four games for testing positive for steroids in 2006, and linebacker Stephen Cooper was suspended by the NFL for the first four games of the 2008 season after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

Merriman was the 12th overall pick out of the University of Maryland in the 2005 draft, and had 39 1/2 sacks in his first three seasons. The three-time Pro Bowl selection was getting back into shape after missing nearly all of last season following knee surgery.

It’s now up to the District Attorney’s office whether they will uphold the charges. If they do uphold the charges, Merriman is expected to be arraigned next week.

“He’s done absolutely nothing wrong; he looks forward to the football season. He’s ready to go and this is merely an incident that was unfortunate that should never had occurred and was a result, directly, of Ms. Tequila’s conduct and the way she conducted herself in Mr. Merriman’s home,” Macaluso said. “We are very confident this matter will be resolved without any charges being filed whatsoever.”

(tmz)