MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After launching an investigation into Ja Morant's actions during an Instagram livestream where he appeared to flash a gun, police in Glendale, Colorado, say they will not be pressing charges against the Memphis Grizzlies star.
But Morant will remain "away from the team" for at least four more games, according to the Grizzlies.
In a statement Wednesday, March 8, 2023, Glendale Police said they determined the incident happened at Shotgun Willie's in Glendale, a small enclave surrounded by Denver, during the club's "lawful operating hours."
Colorado police did not receive any calls or complaints but said they began looking into the situation Saturday after learning about the video circulating online.
They said the investigation concluded "no one was threatened or menaced with a firearm, and in fact no firearm was ever located." They said though the video was "concerning," there was not enough available evidence to charge anyone with a crime.
Following the news from Colorado Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies announced that Ja Morant 'will continue to remain away from the team for at least the next four games." He has already been away for two games.
This latest announcement pushes Morant's earliest possible return to St. Patrick's Day on Friday, March 17 in San Antonio.
The NBA is continuing its investigation into the early Saturday morning livestream.
“We are aware of a social media post involving Ja Morant and are investigating,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.
The livestream by the Grizzlies superstar came just days after a Washington Post article that looked deeper into some eyebrow raising off-court actions in recent months, including an altercation at his Memphis home with a high schooler and another incident with a mall employee.
In addition, Morant drew negative attention to his off-court actions after a report from The Athletic claimed associates of Morant had an altercation with members of the Indiana Pacers after a Jan. 29 game.
The report also says that a slow moving SUV, allegedly with Morant in it, shined a laser on some of the Pacers, who didn’t know if it might be attached to a gun.
The NBA investigated the incident, but could not find proof of any weapons. Morant tweeted that the Pacers reports were false.
On Sunday, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said the team would "support" Ja through "an ongoing healing process," but also that they were going to "hold him accountable."
Morant seemed to have deleted both his Instagram and Twitter accounts on Saturday.
Still, Morant has released a statement through NBA insiders sharing that he takes "full responsibility" for his actions and that he's going to "take some time away" in order to "get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress."
An NBA insider also shared a statement from Nike in which the company said they "appreciate Ja's accountability," supporting his prioritization of well-being.