Danno

2013 video emerges of Saints' Junior Galette striking woman with belt; NFL aware of incident, source says | NOLA.com

Embattled New Orleans Saints linebacker Junior Galette, already scheduled to meet with NFL officials at the league office in New York later this month about his off-field conduct, could have more trouble on his hands.

In a YouTube video titled "Spring Break 2013 South Beach Brawl" and published March 25, 2013, Galette strikes a woman twice with a belt in the midst of a scuffle. The melee was recorded and posted by an onlooker.

An NFL source told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune on Saturday that the league is aware of the video and Galette's involvement in the fracas. The Saints are aware of the situation. The NFL had no comment on the video. Galette's agent Alvin Keels did not respond to requests for comment.

The video opened with Galette, wearing a white shirt, white shorts, white shoes and sunglasses, fighting a man and then whipping him with a belt. As the fight broke up, Galette wildly swung his belt at onlookers.

At the 14-second mark of the clip a woman wearing a swimsuit top and green shorts approached Galette, who again swung his belt, striking her at least twice. One of the onlookers shouted "You're going to jail!" as Galette was escorted away.

Galette reappeared at the 1:18 mark of the video without sunglasses and shoved several people before throwing a punch as two others fought. The recording lasts 1:44.

The beach fight is the latest incident in a turbulent offseason for Galette.

Galette, 27, was arrested for simple battery involving domestic violence on Jan. 5 at his home in Kenner after a 22-year-old woman called police and alleged that Galette beat her.

The charge against Galette was dismissed Feb. 19 after Kenner city attorney Mike Power said interviews with witnesses cast doubt on whether the alleged victim was a member of the household. Domestic violence charges can only involve persons in the same household, he said.

The woman filed a civil suit the same day. The woman's lawyer, Joe Raspanti, withdrew from the civil suit in late March and there has been no subsequent movement in the case.

Galette addressed the media for the first time Wednesday to discuss his offseason arrest. He apologized to Saints fans for the way he conducted himself since the end of the 2014 season.

"Really, at this level, you can conduct yourself as good, as choir boy as you want, sometimes the trouble comes to you," Galette said Wednesday of the January incident. "In that situation, there was nothing I could do. Everything, if I could do it all over again, there's not much different that I can do as far as what this person wants for me out of my life.

"You really don't know what are the warning signs for that. If somebody's going to cross you and try to take everything you have, basically, but it is what it is. I've learned my lesson, and I just want to play football again. That's all that matters right now."...

The Saints invested heavily in Galette just before the start of the 2014 season. The team rewarded him with a four-year contract extension worth up to $41.5 million after Galette tallied 12 sacks in 2013.

Galette, who joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2010, has missed much of the offseason workouts the past few weeks after sustaining a pectoral injury while lifting weights at the team facility.

See the video below: (Warning: The video contains disturbing images and profane language.)

Danno

Thug trash.

I hope he tears both ACL's in training camp (just kidding... well sort of)

ChrisXVI

Oh my. It just gets worse with this guy. I don't really know what to say anymore.

nola_swammi

I can't tell if he was provoked, defending himself or both but I can tell he came back defending somebody apart of his entourage. I am against violence against women but that female was as much of the problem. The fight seems to be reaching it end point but she get closer to galette to antagonize him so he swinged wildly as she approached ,,oh well she get a whipping. Remember this took place in 2013 before the ray rice and AP so the old punishment need to be applied

Danno

How's that buckle taste Beetch???

Danno

Hold the hate... It may not be Junior...

Doppelganger perhaps?

Crusader

Good lord. Just suspend him and get it over with allready. I like his production but the rest just seems like trash.

Danno

The media may have been duped. His lawyer is saying its not him, although it looks just like him.

ChrisXVI

The Saints sent the video to the league office so I think they're pretty sure it's him.

Danno

Question to our legal beagles...

If this wasn't Galette, as his lawyer suggests, can he sue the media for claiming it was him if it wasn't?