2 sue Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2009 shooting incident

By Steve Green

Published Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011 | 9:02 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011 | 1:45 p.m.

Two men sued boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., two associates and two Mayweather companies Tuesday, charging they're responsible for a 2009 shooting at a Las Vegas roller skating rink -- an incident they say left them with psychological injuries.

The suit was filed in Clark County District Court by Quincey Williams and Damien Bland.

A copy of the complaint was posted on the Courthouse News Service website.

One of the men sued Tuesday, Ocie Shomari Harris, aka "O.C.," was indicted last year in the 2009 incident. He was charged with felony counts including attempted murder and is awaiting trial.

Las Vegas Police at the time said Harris was suspected of shooting at a BMW convertible with two people inside after words were exchanged by the vehicle's occupants and Mayweather on Aug. 23, 2009, at the Crystal Palace Skating Center.

Police said no one was injured in the incident, though Tuesday’s lawsuit – in legal boilerplate – charges: "Plaintiffs were seriously injured and caused to suffer great pain of body and mind." The suit says they have needed psychological treatment and may need further treatment and care.

Williams, of the Las Vegas area, and Bland of Grand Rapids, Mich., are represented by attorneys at the Las Vegas law firm Mainor Eglet LLP.

Mark Ferrario, an attorney at the Las Vegas office of the law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP, represents Mayweather in other suits against the fighter -- some accusing his bodyguards of assault in incidents at local casinos.

Ferrario didn't have a comment on the new lawsuit except that Mayweather doesn't plan to litigate the case in the press and is looking forward to defending against the allegations in the appropriate forum.

The defendants are Mayweather, Harris, Jackie Ray Jones, Pretty Boy Enterprises and Mayweather Promotions LLC.

"While at the skating facility, plaintiffs were approached by Mayweather Jr., Jones and Harris, who threatened the lives of plaintiffs," the lawsuit charges. "As the plaintiffs were leaving the skating rink in their vehicle, Harris, while in the company of Jones and in the course and scope of his employment with Mayweather Jr., and due to an agreement with Mayweather and Jones, fired a gun several times at plaintiffs and at least six bullets struck plaintiffs’ vehicle."

The suit also complained that because the shooting generated so much media coverage, "plaintiffs’ names are now associated with defendants, particularly defendant Mayweather Jr. and defendants’ various legal problems and negative publicity, both related and unrelated to the gunshot attack."

Since the incident, the suit alleges, Mayweather, Jones, Harris and "other agents" of Mayweather "have made additional verbal and physical threats and actions against plaintiffs" – and the suit seeks an injunction preventing the defendants and their agents from contacting or assaulting the plaintiffs.

The suit alleges conspiracy to assault the plaintiffs, assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence; and negligent hiring, training, retention and supervision of employees by Mayweather and his companies.

The complaint seeks unspecified damages including punitive damages.

The plaintiffs in 2009 told police the dispute with Mayweather related to a text message Williams had sent Mayweather about a month before the shooting.

The text said he hoped Mayweather would lose his next fight.

A police search warrant said Mayweather was contacted by police after the shooting and that Mayweather told detectives he was with Jones at the Crystal Palace, but stated he didn’t know an "O.C." and was unaware of any shooting.