In the hours since the 49ers confirmed that their promising but troubled young linebacker Aldon Smith suffered minor injuries in an unspecified “incident,” a few more details have become public, with multiple reports saying he suffered minor stab wounds.
CSNBayArea.com reports that Smith was trying to break up a fight at around 2 a.m. when he was stabbed in the shoulder and abdomen with what is believed to be a small pocketknife. Officers responded to a 911 call at a large party at 2:14 a.m., and three people were taken to the hospital: Smith and two people who sustained gunshot wounds. None of the injuries were life threatening.
Breaking up a fight is better than starting a fight, but the 49ers will surely sit Smith down and tell him they’d prefer that he be home in bed at 2 in the morning, not at parties where gun and knife fights are breaking out. Smith, who was arrested in January for drunk driving, has reached the point where he’s not going to be given the benefit of the doubt.
The seventh overall pick in last year’s NFL draft, Smith is an extremely talented player who had 14 sacks as a rookie.