Kendrick Perkins pleads not guilty

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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City Thunder starting center Kendrick Perkins pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct and is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 30.

Perkins

According to documents released to The Associated Press on Thursday after an open records request, Perkins entered his plea by mail through attorney Langston Adams. He was arrested just after 2 a.m. Saturday in Beaumont, Texas, where an event for his charitable foundation was being held.

Denise White, a spokeswoman for Perkins, says doctors instructed Perkins to stay in bed and drink fluids after he passed out while playing dominoes at Milwaukee Bucks guard Stephen Jackson's home last Thursday.

He skipped the charity event Friday before attending an after party, but White says Perkins didn't have "one drop of alcohol."

A police officer claimed in an affidavit that Perkins was using profanity and attempting to fight the manager of The Ticket night club when he arrived. The officer described "a large group of people leaving the club holding their faces and complaining of fights and pepper spray inside."

"Perkins had bloodshot eyes and was refusing to follow even simple commands, he was uncooperative and belligerent," Officer Scott Lizenby wrote in the affidavit. "I believe Perkins was intoxicated to the degree that he was a danger to himself or others as he was still trying to fight.

"Perkins had several people in the crowd trying to control him and were unable to do so."

White claims Perkins had arranged for a part of the party's proceeds to benefit his foundation and the club's owner became "combative" when Perkins approached to ask for the money. She claims Perkins "posed no physical harm to anyone" and was never given a breathalyzer test to see if he had been drinking.

"Kendrick was ordered to keep hydrated and take it easy," White said in her statement. "He was NOT drinking alcohol nor was he intoxicated."

Adams did not respond to a phone message left at his office Thursday.

The court documents indicate a trial date will be set at Perkins' hearing next month.

The Thunder acquired Perkins, a part of Boston's 2009 NBA championship team, from the Celtics at the trade deadline in February and signed him to a four-year, $36 million contract extension before he ever played for Oklahoma City. When he returned from a knee injury, he became a starter and helped the Thunder to the Western Conference finals.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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