Plaxico Burress Gun Charges – Giants receiver Plaxico Burress surrendered this morning to New York police on gun charges resulting from shooting himself in the thigh at the Latin Quarters nightclub.

At 8 a.m., Plaxico Burress, escorted by his lawyer, stepped out of a black Cadillac Escalade and walked calmly into the 17th Precinct station house at East 51st Street and Lexington Avenue to face gun charges involving carrying a concealed weapon without a valid gun permit.

Dressed in jeans and a white shirt with a collar, Burress did not appear to be limping, and said nothing as he entered the precinct.

His lawyer, Benjamin Branfman, emerged moments later and said Mr. Burress would “deal with the legal process in a responsible and professional manner.”

“He is standing tall,” he said. “He’s a mature adult handling this very well, I think, under the circumstances. He has asked me to tell all the fans who’ve written and called, and his teammates, that he very much appreciates their expressions of concern.”

Burress, a star player with a history of trouble both on and off the field, could face more than three years in prison, the authorities have said, because he did not have a permit to carry a gun in New York City. A law enforcement official said that the gun, a Glock semiautomatic pistol, was recovered at Burress’s home in Totowa, N.J.

The police have said they are also interested in talking with Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who was with Burress when the gun went off in an alcove near the V.I.P. room section of the Latin Quarters nightclub. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw was with them, but he was in a different part of the club at the time of the shooting.

While the Giants beat the Washington Redskins on Sunday, Burress remained inside his sprawling estate, tending to his injury. Burress had not been scheduled to play against the Redskins because of a hamstring strain in that same leg. Pierce did play, and Bradshaw was in attendance, although out of uniform with a neck injury.

Earlier in the day, Burress hired Brafman, who has represented high-profile defendants like the hip-hop mogul Sean Combs, and they spent about an hour together at Burress’s home, discussing his legal options.

After that meeting, Brafman characterized Burress’s emotional state as “clearly not pleased about these events.”

“I ask his fans and the New York Giants to withhold judgment in this case until the facts come out,” Brafman said in a telephone interview Sunday, adding that he did not yet know the possible punishment that Burress could be facing.

“It depends on the degree of crime that they charge him with, and they have not told me that yet,” he said.

According to state law, a person carrying a gun without a permit faces 3 ½ to 15 years in prison if prosecutors prove that the person intended to use the weapon on another person. If intent to use cannot be proved, the person may still face felony charges that could result in up to seven years in prison.

In addition, Burress may also be facing punishment by the N.F.L. Under the league’s personal-conduct policy, violations of local gun laws can result in a player’s suspension.

Officials from the league and the Giants have yet to determine what, if any, punishment Burress would receive as a result of the incident.

“We are cooperating with the police and continuing to monitor the situation,” the N.F.L. spokesman Greg Aiello said.

Giants officials said they were still unclear about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, which resulted in Burress’s being treated and released by a New York City hospital within 24 hours. The bullet broke through the skin of his right thigh and pierced muscle tissue, but no bones or arteries were compromised.

Brafman said Burress held a gun permit in Florida. Online records show that the permit expired May 21. Even if it were renewed, it would not matter. According to New York law, one must hold a New York gun permit to carry a concealed weapon in the state. Burress does not.

Burress also did not have a permit to carry a firearm in New Jersey, his state of residence, according to Chief Robert Coyle of the Totowa Police Department. He added that a Florida permit was not recognized in New Jersey. “He wouldn’t be able to carry here at all,” he said.

And that’s the latest news on the Plaxico Burress gun charges.

Tags: concealed wepaon, gun permit, nfl, plaxico burress, plaxico burress gun charges, plaxico burress suspended, shooting

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