Raiders' Rolando McClain sentenced

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DECATUR, Ala. -- Oakland Raiders linebacker Rolando McClain has been sentenced to 180 days in jail for assault and other charges stemming from a fight in his hometown when he allegedly threatened to kill a man and fired a gun next to his head.

Decatur Municipal Judge Bill Cook convicted the 22-year-old former Alabama star Thursday of third-degree assault, menacing, reckless endangerment and discharging a firearm in the city limits. He fined McClain $2,000.

McClain

McClain, 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, and Jarodiaus Willingham were charged with assaulting Rishard Tapscott, who was a friend of the two, on Nov. 30, 2011. Tapscott testified that the Raiders linebacker pointed a gun at his head and threatened to kill him before firing it beside his ear.

McClain's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said he will appeal to Morgan County Circuit Court seeking a jury trial.

"I wanted to put this on so we could show how ridiculous this entire situation is," Steinberg said after the conviction. "It truly is. There's no basis for it. Our feeling was that we should go through it so we could put out there that Rolando did very little, if anything, wrong. He certainly didn't do anything criminal."

McClain was released on the bail he paid following his arrest. He did not respond to reporters' questions before driving away in a white pickup truck.

"I hate that this took place but I'm glad about him being found guilty because it shows that I wasn't lying," Tapscott said following the five-hour trial.

Willingham, 23 of Decatur, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault in the case Thursday morning. He received a 90-day jail sentence.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league will review McClain's case to determine if further punishment is warranted. The Raiders said in a statement that they would continue to monitor the situation.

McClain, the eighth overall pick in the 2010 draft, signed a $40 million, five-year contract that included $23 million in guarantees with the Raiders before his rookie season.

He had 99 tackles and five sacks in 15 games last season.

Tapscott has also filed a civil suit against McClain.

The judge declined to allow city prosecuter Emily Baggett to introduce a videotape from the incident. Decatur attorney Carl Cole, who is representing Tapscott in the suit, provided the video to the prosecution.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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