Atlanta's Fox 5 News is reporting that police in the Georgia city have issues a warrant for the arrest of Heath Slater (real name Heath Miller) in connection to an incident that is alleged to have occurred there after WrestleMania 27 in 2011.
A woman who was working security at a post-Mania party claims that Slater put her in a chokehold and tried to drag her into an elevator in order to take her to his room at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The attack allegedly resulted in damaged vertebrae. Corrine Oliver says that she reported what happened to her employers with Allied Security the next day, but did not file a police report because she believed the company would do that for her. She did file a report three months after the incident, in the Summer of 2011.
Most troubling to WWE is a report that Oliver says other wrestlers witnessed the incident and did nothing to assist her. The Stamford, CT-based company's lawyer, Jerry McDevitt, is referenced in the story on PW.Net as saying that the charges are against Slater and not the company. But with the increased profile of domestic violence due to the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson cases in the National Football League, there will certainly be some who will try to paint WWE into this picture - especially if there is anything to substantiate the claim that other WWE-contracted employees were present.
There's no word at this time on why the warrant was issued at this time.
We'll update you with more information as we have it, Cagesiders.
UPDATE
WWE has issued a statement on the matter:
"WWE has been advised that a misdemeanor arrest warrant has been issued against Heath Miller (aka Heath Slater), but we have not seen a copy or been provided with the underlying charges. Once this information is received by WWE, we will take the appropriate action."