Several professional football players were acting unruly, "groping waitresses" and reportedly smoking marijuana at a Restaurant Row nightclub late Friday night before club personnel stepped in to intervene, the attorney for one of the nightclub’s owners said Monday.
Michael Miske Jr., a minority owner of M nightclub, was arrested Saturday and charged Sunday with second-degree assault in connection with a fight at the nightclub. Police said he posted $250,000 bail.
Police said Miske, 38, hit Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams on the head with a dangerous instrument, reportedly a Champagne bottle.
Williams did not play in the game because of his injuries.
Thomas Otake, Miske’s lawyer, said "certain NFL players" at the club were "unruly, rude and disrespectful to the female waitresses and other customers."
Otake said there were reports that "certain NFL players" were smoking marijuana in the club.
Otake would not identify the football players.
He said club management and security asked the football players to leave after "certain players became physically aggressive and started a fight."
"Club personnel and security did their best to protect staff, customers and themselves," Otake said.
"When all of the evidence comes out, we are confident Mr. Miske will be cleared of all charges. Unfortunately, as we all know, professional athletes don’t always act professionally."
Miske is expected to be arraigned Feb. 4 in Circuit Court.
Miske, who is also owner and president of Kamaaina Termite and Pest Control, has 10 criminal convictions, six for felonies dating back to 1993.
The nightclub’s liquor license was issued to Leverage Inc. on Jan. 11, 2012. Miske owns 20 percent of the corporation, while Jason Yokoyama holds 70 percent of its shares, according to the Honolulu Liquor Commission. The corporation would have not been issued a liquor license to operate the nightclub if Miske’s share in the company had been more than 25 percent, under state law.
In 1995, Miske was convicted of fraudulent use of a credit card and three counts of theft and was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and five years of probation, and was ordered to pay $5,300 in restitution.
Five months later he was found guilty of kidnapping, felony attempted assault and speeding and was sentenced to five years’ probation, assessed a $105 fine and ordered to pay $625 in restitution.
In 2006, Miske was convicted of third-degree assault related to an altercation with a high school student and was sentenced to one year on probation.
Court documents related to a lawsuit filed against the school by the student’s family included an account of the incident, which began with a verbal altercation between Miske and another parent over a traffic incident. According to the document, when Miske returned to the campus later that afternoon and approached the parent, the student intervened, leading to a series of verbal confrontations and several attempts by Miske to attack the student.
The student said Miske continued to drive around the campus and threaten him. Later that day, "Miske and two other adults chased (the student), who was on foot, with their vehicle through Kalihi."
The student was granted an injunction against Miske.
