SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant won't face criminal charges over a confrontation last summer in which he was accused of snatching away a fellow worshipper's cellphone at a Carmel Valley church, injuring the other man's arm, authorities said Tuesday.
Following an "extensive investigation and interview of independent witnesses," the San Diego City Attorney's Office concluded that the Aug. 14 incident involved no unlawful conduct that could be proven in court, according to Gina Coburn, a spokeswoman for the agency.
"As prosecutors we cannot ethically file a criminal case when we lack sufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt," Coburn said in a prepared statement.
The dispute at St. Therese of Carmel reportedly occurred because Bryant believed another congregant was taking photos of him with a cellphone. The 6-foot-6-inch professional basketball player grabbed the device from the man but saw no photos of him on it, then left the church, according to reports.
The other man, whose name was not released, filed a report with San Diego police, contending that the encounter had left him with an injured wrist.
