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Friday, January 3, 1997

nclude file="yourlinkhere.inc"-->Williams denies rape accusation, Irvin lawyer claims alibi witness

By DENNE H. FREEMAN / AP Sports Writer (Jan. 3, 1997)

DALLAS (AP) - Dallas Cowboys players Erik Williams and Michael Irvin, both accused of being involved in the rape of a 23-year-old woman, say they look forward to being vindicated.

"I've been falsely accused of something that I didn't do and I'm looking forward to the truth to come out as soon as possible," Williams said Thursday in his first comment about the accusations.

The woman told police Irvin held a gun to her head while she was raped Sunday night by Williams and another man. Police have not identified the third man, and none of the accused men has been charged with any crime.

Williams, a burly lineman, spoke briefly while leaving the Cowboys' training facility.

"I'm not a bad person. I realize the responsibilities and privileges that it takes to be a Dallas Cowboy," he said. "I'm looking forward to the truth to come out as soon as possible."

Irvin also has denied the accusation, and his lawyers say they have a witness to back up his claim that he was in a sports bar at the time the woman alleged she was raped.

Peter Ginsberg, Williams' attorney, said Irvin was not at Williams' house on Sunday - or any time recently.

"The one fact that I think is important, because this does reflect on how ridiculous the charges are, Michael Irvin has not been at Erik Williams' house for over a year and a half," Ginsberg said.

Earlier Thursday, Irvin attorney Royce West said a security guard at Williams' gated subdivision can testify that he didn't see Irvin that night.

A manager for Triad Protective Services, which handles the subdivision's security, said guards are not required to list visitors, so it would be the guard's word as to whether Irvin - or anyone else - had visited.

Police, meanwhile, had not yet interviewed either Williams, 28, or Irvin, 30, by Thursday, and officers said they had no immediate plans to talk with either.

"We're in the very early stages of the investigation" said police spokesman Ed Spencer. "It's going to be days, at least, if not weeks, before any determination is made if there's a criminal case to be filed."

Ginsberg lashed out at police, saying the suspects' names and other details about the accusations should never have been released publicly. Police held a news conference Tuesday after a television report on the allegations.

"Complaints like this should be investigated vigorously, but it should be investigated privately," Ginsberg said. "The police should not be using the press and the police should not be making public statements based solely on allegations."

Dallas Police Chief Ben Click defended the department and said officers released no information that wasn't already publicly available as part of the complaint.

Irvin and Williams spent spent Thursday practicing for Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game in Charlotte, N.C., against the Carolina Panthers.

The defending NFL champion Cowboys are trying to win their fourth Super Bowl in five years. Williams, a 1997 Pro Bowl pick, and Irvin, a 1996 Pro Bowl choice, have been key figures in Dallas' success.