JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A man accused of shooting Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier 14 times pleaded not guilty Monday at his arraignment and was being held without bond.
Tyrone Romaro Hartsfield, 32, stood silently as his public defender entered pleas of not guilty to charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Hartsfield is accused of shooting Collier on Sept. 2. Police believe he was retaliating against Collier for an earlier altercation at a night club.
As a result of the shooting, Collier was paralyzed below the waist and had to have his left leg amputated below the knee.
Collier was shot in his car as he waited outside an apartment building for two women he had met at a club. His former teammate, Kenneth Pettway, also was in the car, but was not injured. Police think Hartsfield followed Collier to the apartment complex and opened fire.
Collier was in the hospital for more than a month and was released in mid-October to recuperate at an undisclosed location.
The team is paying tribute to Collier by keeping his locker intact in the area shared by offensive linemen.
The judge set a pretrial hearing for Dec. 1.
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