Police chief blasts Isiah Thomas for 'cover-up'..
Police chief blasts Isiah Thomas for 'cover-up' in pinning overdose on daughter.
You should be ashamed, Isiah!
The police chief in the Isiah Thomas case blasted the former Knicks coach Saturday for using his daughter to "cover up" his accidental overdose. Harrison Police Chief David Hall said the former NBA great was throwing his 17-year-old daughter "under the bus" by claiming she was the one rushed to the hospital Friday, not him.
"My cops ... know the difference between a 47-year-old black male and a young black female," Hall told The Associated Press. "It wasn't his daughter - and why they're throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand."
He continued: "These people should learn something from Richard Nixon - it's not the crime, it's the coverup." Hall said no suicide note was found, and police were classifying the case "as an accidental drug overdose."
Early reports said emergency crews were called to treat a 47-year-old man, the same age as Thomas. Police sources later confirmed it was the NBA star.
Authorities also revealed Thomas had downed 10 Lunesta pills and lost consciousness by the time emergency workers arrived at his $4 million Westchester County home in the early hours of Friday morning.
But Thomas himself denied it was an overdose, adding that his daughter is "very down right now." Thomas' son Joshua, 20, told the Daily News on Friday that the reports of sleeping pills were false and also said it was his sister, not his father, who needed medical attention.
Joshua lashed out at Hall for accusing his father of a coverup.
"Saying that someone is being thrown under the bus when you are talking about health issues is disrespectful," the Indiana University student wrote in a text to The News.
"I love both my sister and dad and am glad that both are doing well. Thanks for all the support, but as a family we are fine and stronger than ever."
The former Knicks coach remained out of the spotlight Saturday and did not return calls seeking an explanation for what really happened.
A Knicks spokesman refused to address Hall's allegations, saying the club would stand by its original statement that claimed Thomas was dealing with a "family matter."
Thomas has seen his reputation shattered in recent years for several losing seasons and a blockbuster sexual harassment suit against him and Madison Square Garden.
His handling of the reports of an overdose added further fuel to fans' calls for him to step down. "I wish him well healthwise but I wish he'd get out of New York," said Skip Funt, 65, from Manhattan.
"I think he's a disgrace to the Knicks because he can't coach and he can't manage. He'll blame anybody just to make himself look good because that's the kind of guy he is."
"He was a good player in Detroit and I hated him as a general manager and a coach," said transit worker Joe Boyce, 57, from Queens. "He's got a lot of ghosts in his closet."
You should be ashamed, Isiah!
The police chief in the Isiah Thomas case blasted the former Knicks coach Saturday for using his daughter to "cover up" his accidental overdose. Harrison Police Chief David Hall said the former NBA great was throwing his 17-year-old daughter "under the bus" by claiming she was the one rushed to the hospital Friday, not him.
"My cops ... know the difference between a 47-year-old black male and a young black female," Hall told The Associated Press. "It wasn't his daughter - and why they're throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand."
He continued: "These people should learn something from Richard Nixon - it's not the crime, it's the coverup." Hall said no suicide note was found, and police were classifying the case "as an accidental drug overdose."
Early reports said emergency crews were called to treat a 47-year-old man, the same age as Thomas. Police sources later confirmed it was the NBA star.
Authorities also revealed Thomas had downed 10 Lunesta pills and lost consciousness by the time emergency workers arrived at his $4 million Westchester County home in the early hours of Friday morning.
But Thomas himself denied it was an overdose, adding that his daughter is "very down right now." Thomas' son Joshua, 20, told the Daily News on Friday that the reports of sleeping pills were false and also said it was his sister, not his father, who needed medical attention.
Joshua lashed out at Hall for accusing his father of a coverup.
"Saying that someone is being thrown under the bus when you are talking about health issues is disrespectful," the Indiana University student wrote in a text to The News.
"I love both my sister and dad and am glad that both are doing well. Thanks for all the support, but as a family we are fine and stronger than ever."
The former Knicks coach remained out of the spotlight Saturday and did not return calls seeking an explanation for what really happened.
A Knicks spokesman refused to address Hall's allegations, saying the club would stand by its original statement that claimed Thomas was dealing with a "family matter."
Thomas has seen his reputation shattered in recent years for several losing seasons and a blockbuster sexual harassment suit against him and Madison Square Garden.
His handling of the reports of an overdose added further fuel to fans' calls for him to step down. "I wish him well healthwise but I wish he'd get out of New York," said Skip Funt, 65, from Manhattan.
"I think he's a disgrace to the Knicks because he can't coach and he can't manage. He'll blame anybody just to make himself look good because that's the kind of guy he is."
"He was a good player in Detroit and I hated him as a general manager and a coach," said transit worker Joe Boyce, 57, from Queens. "He's got a lot of ghosts in his closet."
