National Football League

Police: Talib 'a person of interest'

Published Mar. 28, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib is a "person of interest" in connection with a violent dispute in which his sister's boyfriend was allegedly attacked and shot at, the Dallas Observer reported Monday.

According to police in the Dallas suburb of Garland, Talib was involved in a fight March 21 with his sister's partner, Shannon Billings.

"The investigation is ongoing," Garland Police Department administration supervisor Captain Patrick McCulley told the Dallas Observer. "But I can confirm that Mr. Talib is a person of interest in the case."

The incident, according to police, stemmed from an argument at Talib's sister Saran's house between her and Billings. Saran Talib reportedly called her brother and mother for help during the alleged altercation.

Neighbors called 911 after hearing gunshots, and when police arrived they found Billings outside a residence in the area.

Billings was arrested in connection with two prior incidents involving Talib's sister. He told officers he had been shot at during the latest bust-up.

Billings also alleged that Talib had tried to "strike him in the face" with a pistol.

Talib, 25, could face a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony, in addition to a misdemeanor gun charge, the Observer said.

Neither Talib, nor his agent Todd France have commented on the incident. NFL teams are prohibited from contacting their players during the lockout.

Talib, a Texas high school standout, has had several off-the-field incidents since Tampa Bay drafted him in the first round out of Kansas in 2008.

Following the draft, he was involved in a fight at the NFL's rookie symposium, and a year later got into a scuffle with a teammate at Bucs minicamp.

Talib, who started all 11 games that he played last season, was arrested in August 2009 in Florida for assaulting a cab driver. The incident drew a one-game suspension from the NFL, but the charge was dismissed after Talib agreed to perform 15 hours of community service and attend anger management classes.