Report: Sanders says he's innocent

Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders proclaimed his innocence Thursday following a domestic altercation which led to him and his estranged wife both being charged with assault. Walking in Manhattan with his two sons ahead of the NFL Draft, the NFL Network analyst told TMZ, "I would never touch a woman." The incident occurred late Monday at the couple's Dallas-area mansion, with Sanders, 44, writing on Twitter that Pilar Sanders and her friend had "jumped" him in front of his children. It was unclear what sparked the confrontation, in which Sanders told police he was bitten, scratched and kicked. The former two-sport star said Thursday he did not regret the tweets, maintaining he wanted to get the truth out before the media learned of the fight. "What did I do that was so wrong? I mean, you think I want the first thing that you hear is somebody saying that I abused them? I never did that stuff. I would never touch a woman. That's not me," he said. Police in Prosper, Texas, cited Sanders for misdemeanor simple assault, but he was not taken into custody. Pilar Sanders was arrested for assault family violence, a misdemeanor, and released from jail Tuesday. "I am innocent," she said after her release, arguing the media coverage of the couple's messy divorce has been skewed in favor of her famous husband. "I'm a full-time mom, 100 percent for my children," she said. "And I just haven't been given a fair shake." The 38-year-old was ordered by a judge to stay away from the couple's home for the next two months. Another woman was also similarly cited over her alleged role in the altercation. Deion and Pilar Sanders were married in 1999 and have three children together. Deion announced Dec. 17 the two were divorcing.