Boston Herald
4/20/99
Celt faces charges of dragging
officer
by Tim Cornell and Steve Bulpett
Tuesday, April 20, 1999
Celtics forward Tony Battie is
scheduled to be arraigned today
after he was arrested at gunpoint
last weekend for allegedly using
his car to drag a Boston police
officer who had ordered him to
move it.
Battie, 23, pulled in front of the
Cosmopolitan Club on Canal Street
at closing time early Saturday in
his new Lincoln Navigator and
began talking to some friends,
according to police.
Officer Raymond D'Oyley, who was
working a detail at 2:30 a.m. to
keep traffic moving in front of
the club, asked Battie to move his
car, according to Boston police
spokeswoman Detective Sgt. Margot
Hill.
``He was asked to move and he
refused, ignoring the request,''
Hill said.
D'Oyley then asked Battie to show
his driver's license and
registration, Hill said, adding
the officer had to repeat the
request several times. Finally,
D'Oyley told the 6-foot-11 reserve
player to get out of the car
because he was under arrest, Hill
said. Battie still refused, so
D'Oyley reached inside the door to
unlock the car, Hill said.
Battie immediately pushed the
power button to close the window
and started to drive off with
D'Oyley's arm still inside the
car, Hill said. Before he could go
any distance, D'Oyley pulled his
service pistol and pointed it at
Battie ``to make his point
extremely clear,'' Hill said.
``There have been a number of
police officers killed in
situations such as this, so he was
taking the situation very
seriously,'' Hill said.
Battie stopped and was arrested
for assault and battery on a
police officer and refusing to
produce his license and
registration.
``I can't comment on it. My
attorneys are taking care of
everything,'' Battie said prior
last night's game at the
FleetCenter.
Celtics coach Rick Pitino said the
club will wait until the matter is
resolved in court before deciding
whether to discipline Battie.
``I think the best way to handle
it is to let his lawyer handle
it,'' said Pitino. ``He feels he's
totally innocent of it, of any
wrongdoing whatsoever. Let his
lawyer handle it and see what
shakes down from there. Then I'll
comment. He's a great kid and I
believe in him.''