Lawsuit Accuses DeMarcus Cousins And Matt Barnes Of Punching And Choking Nightclub Patrons

Matt Barnes and DeMarcus Cousins got into a scuffle of some sort at a New York City club early Monday morning, prompting the NYPD to seek out the pair for questioning. A pair of people who claim that Barnes and Cousins assaulted them filed suit yesterday in a New York U.S. District Court, and demanded a jury trial.

According to the suit, Jasmine Besiso was approached by Matt Barnes “in a harmful and offensive manner” in the VIP area of the club. Barnes then allegedly grabbed her “by the neck and began choking her.” Cousins then allegedly punched out Besiso’s co-plaintiff, Myrone Powell. Besiso says she was elbowed in the face by Barnes and knocked unconscious.

Both Powell and Desiso say their injuries sent them to the hospital. CBS Sacramento reported this morning that security videos from the club are inconclusive due to low lighting. They also said that the NYPD is not expected to recommend charges.

Both Cousins and Barnes played in the Kings’ win over the Mavericks yesterday. The Kings released a statement saying that they were “working with all parties involved to gather information in order to take any appropriate next steps.” The full lawsuit can be found below.