Jeremy Stephens (Pictured) isn’t currently able to address Friday’s arrest, so his management has decided to do so on their client’s behalf.
Evolution Agents has issued a statement explaining Stephens’ side of his incarceration.
Just hours before the curtain was drawn on the UFC’s return to Minnesota, the lightweight was arrested by the Minneapolis Police Department for outstanding warrants stemming from a 2011 incident in Iowa where the 26-year-old was charged with assault.
Despite the fact he was locked up in a jail cell for most of the day, UFC president Dana White was adamant Stephens would keep his appointment with Yves Edwards. Even as Friday’s show was halfway through and Stephens was still behind bars, White refused to rule him out of the scrap.
The UFC ultimately weren’t able to post bail in time, and White believes it’s because Stephens’ hometown police department has it in for him.
Here’s what Evolution Agents had to say about Stephens’ predicament:
In response to the recent arrest and allegations regarding Jeremy Stephens we would like to take this opportunity to reach out to his supporters and clarify some of the information that has been circulating in the media.
In 2011, Jeremy was attending a homecoming party in Des Moines, Iowa. A person in attendance became intoxicated and disorderly, and was asked to leave by the owner of the establishment. The intoxicated individual subsequently became involved in a physical altercation with another person at the event. We have learned that, as the featured guest at the party, Jeremy’s name came up during the police investigation of the assault.
Prior to being detained the morning of October 5, 2012, in Minneapolis, Jeremy had never been arrested in connection with the assault, contacted about any possible charge and or notified about any outstanding warrant by mail or any other means. Jeremy has lived at the same residence in San Diego and has maintained the same phone number for the past year or more. Jeremy also uses social media to provide updates on his training, and to thank fans, supporters, sponsors, and the UFC. In short, Jeremy is not a hard guy to find, which can be seen at www.LilHeathenMMA.com.
At this time, we do not know why Polk County (Iowa) authorities waited to have a warrant served on Jeremy until the morning of his fight. He arrived in Minnesota four days earlier, stayed at the hotel with other fighters for the event, and attended the public weigh-in on Thursday afternoon. Because he was arrested so close to the time of the fight, arrangements for his release could not be made in time for him to compete despite the diligent efforts of the UFC. Minnesota state officials were great to deal with, but Polk County kept changing the deal making it impossible to get Jeremy released.
It will take some time for this unfortunate situation to be resolved. We ask that everyone be patient and wait for the truth to come out. We also would like to thank Jeremy’s fans who are standing by him during this tough time and especially Dana White and the staff at UFC for their incredible display of support for Jeremy throughout the ordeal.
There is nothing to hide, so we will keep everyone updated as things progress. For any questions or concerns, you can contact management at the following; www.EvoAgents.com
During Friday’s post-fight press conference, White believed it was clear the Des Moines Police Department wants to stick it to Stephens. After agreeing to pay “an astronomical amount of money to bail [Jeremy] out,” the department continued to alter and delay Stephens’ release so he couldn’t earn a paycheck that night.
Original Story:
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October 08, 2012
