<p>PITTSBURGH — The lawyer for Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald said Friday that witnesses and surveillance video <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-pittsburgh-football-los-angeles-rams-aaron-donald-4c9ab0ada26190d81628943ae068575f">refute a man’s claim the player assaulted him</a> at a Pittsburgh nightclub last weekend.</p>
<p>Attorney Casey White <a href="https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/lawyer-says-video-proves-nfl-star-aaron-donald-tried-stop-fight-did-not-attack-man-pittsburgh/988cf193-ea52-4d20-92a2-b5a639a1eb5a/">told WPXI-TV</a> that the video indicates Donald did not assault anyone but was trying to save the victim, De’Vincent Spriggs.</p>
<p>The station aired black-and-white video that shows about a dozen men and a melee in which one man, purportedly Spriggs, ended up on the ground. White says Donald is in the video, pulling someone away from the fight.</p>
<p>“Aaron’s like, ‘I don’t have anything to hide, let’s go to police, let’s do what we’ve got to do. Because all I want to do is go to the weight room, work out and not be bothered with this,’” White told the station. </p>
<p>White <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31269749/lawyer-aaron-donald-refutes-assault-claim-los-angeles-rams-star">told ESPN</a> that five witnesses say Donald helped pull people away.</p>
<p>“He’s trying to get these kids off Spriggs; He gets at least two or three people off of Spriggs and at that point in time, somebody grabs Aaron and says, ‘This is not a good situation, let’s get the heck out of here,’” White told ESPN.</p>
<p>A message seeking further comment was left for White. </p>
<p>Spriggs’ lawyer Todd J. Hollis has said Donald and others assaulted Spriggs, causing multiple injuries that required hospital treatment. </p>
<p>Spriggs, 26, filed a complaint on Wednesday with Pittsburgh police, who are investigating. No charges have been filed.</p>
<p>Hollis’ office said Friday he had no comment on the video or White’s statements.</p>
<p>White said Spriggs had earlier jabbed Donald with his elbow and swung a liquor bottle that grazed Donald’s face, and that Donald did not fight back.</p>
<p>“He turned around and it’s this Mr. Spriggs … and Aaron goes, ‘What’s up?’ and Mr. Spriggs starts yelling belligerently, ‘Did I mean to? Did I mean to?’ He keeps repeating, it’s kind of nonsensical, but he keeps yelling, ‘Did I mean to?’ It’s apparent to Aaron and it’s apparent to all the witnesses that (Spriggs) is intoxicated,” White told ESPN.</p>
<p>Hollis has said Spriggs bumped into Donald and that Donald escalated the matter, leading to the alleged assault.</p>
<p>The incident occurred around 3 a.m. Sunday in the city’s South Side. White said the men were at a private party in an apartment, and that after the initial confrontation, Donald and another person encountered Spriggs in a back alleyway.</p>
<p>Donald, 29, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nfl-alex-smith-chase-young-derrick-henry-tennessee-titans-e434878653b8977d3e432dda11d53877">was named the Associated Press NFL defensive player of the year in February</a> and played college football at the University of Pittsburgh.</p>
