T.J. Ward charged with misdemeanor

DENVER -- Broncos safety T.J. Ward has been charged with misdemeanor assault and disturbing the peace for allegedly throwing a glass mug at a female bartender at a Denver strip club earlier this month.

Ward, 27, appeared in court Friday to face the charges stemming from the incident at 2:40 a.m. on May 10 at PT's All Nude club.

According to court documents, Ward was seen on video surveillance picking up the mug from the bar and throwing it at the bartender after being told he couldn't bring a drink into the club.

A court date was set for June 23.

Police had issued an arrest warrant for Ward on Thursday. Ward's attorney, Abe Hutt, told The Denver Post that Ward didn't know he was wanted until he saw a television news report Thursday night. Hutt said the warrant was dismissed Friday.

Ward's agent, Josh Arnold, issued a statement to The Associated Press on Friday that said: "The situation that presented itself within the media yesterday involving T.J. has been misconstrued. He was never arrested, there will be no booking and the warrant that was erroneously issued has been canceled. At this point, he has been issued a simple ticket/citation."

Arnold added that "T.J. would like to thank all of his supporters and he's looking forward to continuing a productive offseason as he prepares for his first year as a Denver Bronco."

Ward signed a four-year, $22.5 million deal with Denver this spring. He is coming off a Pro Bowl season in Cleveland, where he also earned second-team All-Pro honors last year.

Ward is a major component of Denver's defensive makeover this offseason following the AFC champion's loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

When he signed Ward to a contract May 11, general manager John Elway called him "a young, explosive strong safety who is going to bring a lot of energy and toughness to our secondary."

Ward projects as the Broncos' strong safety with Rahim Moore returning at free safety. Ward can also line up as a weak-side linebacker in some of the Broncos' specialty looks with six and seven defensive backs.