Prosecutors drop one assault charge against Kevin Porter Jr.

Manhattan prosecutors dropped one of the assault charges against Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr., acknowledging Monday during Porter’s hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court that he did not fracture the vertebra neck injury of his girlfriend during an alleged attack in a New York hotel last month.

According to the New York Post, Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Mirah Curzer cited “insufficient evidence” as the reason she dropped the second-degree assault charge, telling Judge Jay Weiner on Monday: “This which initially appeared to be a fractured vertebra was not the cause. caused an injury caused by the defendant.

Porter was arrested after an alleged attack on her girlfriend Kysre Gondrezick, a former WNBA player, at the Millennium Hilton near the United Nations on September 11. Prosecutors initially said at Porter’s arraignment a day later that the attack left her with a fractured cervical vertebra and a deep cut above her right eye.

Porter’s defense team shared documents with the Post indicating the alleged neck fracture was actually a birth defect.

Porter still faces charges of second-degree strangulation and third-degree assault, to which he has pleaded not guilty. According to the Post, Curzer told the judge his office offered a plea deal for the third-degree assault charge, but Porter rejected the offer.

The Rockets told Porter he could no longer be a part of the team in any capacity following his arrest. Other than that, everything related to Porter and his situation falls under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement and will be handled by the league, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said during the team’s media day at Beginning of the month.

Porter’s next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 27.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.