Former NBA basketball player Amar'e Stoudemire was arrested Sunday for allegedly punching his teenage daughter in the face.
The Associated Press reported that Stoudemire was charged with misdemeanor battery and was later released on a $1,500 bond with a no-contact order issued.
Later Sunday evening, Stoudemire addressed the incident in a statement on his Twitter account.
“Over the last 24 hours, an incident at my family home led to my being charged with assaulting my daughter,” Stoudemire stated in the tweet. “It is an allegation based on a report that does not square with the facts. I am of the Jewish faith, today Jewish people all over the world celebrate Hanukkah and hear the story of how we fought wickedness. I believe that ‘whatever is hateful to you, do not do to others.’"
Citing a police report, The Miami Herald reported that the incident occurred Saturday evening during an argument at his Miami home with one of his two teenage daughters.
In the report, it did not state which one of his two daughters, ages 17 and 14, he allegedly hit, the newspaper reported.
According to the report, Stoudemire allegedly punched the girl in the jaw after she reportedly denied his accusation that she was disrespectful to his mother during a phone call, the newspaper reported.
The girl's mother, who the daughter called to pick her up, contacted the police, the news outlets reported.
When police arrived at Stoudemire's residence, he told officers that the teenager contacted her mother “because she was sad” and that she “was sad because she received a whooping from him for being disrespectful and a liar," according to the report, the news outlets reported.
“As the investigation unfolds, the facts will show the allegations to be groundless as my daughter’s medical condition is not the result of being assaulted by a father who is nearly 7 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds," Stoudemire continued in his statement on Twitter. "I could never see myself assaulting any person, especially my children. I respect, protect, and love my family, particularly my children. As a father, I ask for your grace as we secure our space and privacy.”
