Blackhawks' Kane arrested after taxi altercationn
by FOXSports.com
Updated: August 9, 2009, 4:45 PM EDT
Can anyone spare two dimes for Patrick Kane?
The 20-year-old Chicago Blackhawks star and his cousin, James Kane, were arrested early Sunday morning after an alleged incident involving a cab driver in Patrick's home town of Buffalo.
Patrick Kane was arrested early Sunday morning for an alleged dispute with a cab driver. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)
A report in the Buffalo News said the Kanes paid for a $13.80 cab ride with $15 around 5 a.m. The cab driver claimed he didn't have the coins to give them the full $1.20 in change. The driver alleges that the Kanes then took the $15 back, punched the cab driver in the face, grabbed his throat and broke his glasses, according to police.
A Buffalo police spokesman confirmed Patrick Kane and a relative were arrested after an incident involving a cab driver. He also said the driver's face was cut and his glasses were damaged.
The Kanes were charged with second degree robbery, criminal mischief and theft of services.
Patrick Kane pleaded not guilty in city court Sunday morning, according to WIVB-TV. It was not immediately clear when James Kane will appear in court.
A message left at the home of Patrick Kane's parents was not immediately returned Sunday afternoon. Relatives who answered his grandfather's phone and his mother's cell phone declined to comment and could not say whether either Kane had an attorney.
Kane's agent, Pat Brisson, did not immediately return a call for comment. The Blackhawks are aware of the allegations against Kane, spokesman Brandon Faber said.
"He is a big part of our organization and a team leader and we stand behind him," Faber said. "As we are still collecting all the facts, it would be premature to comment further at this time."
On Thursday, Patrick Kane was at a Buffalo ice rink where he played hockey as a child to help Mayor Byron Brown announce funding for improvements.
He said at the time he was happy to have time "to hang out back home in Buffalo."
"The best thing about it is my friends treat me like I'm a regular kid," said Kane, the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL draft. "They don't treat me like a celebrity or whatever they might treat me like in Chicago."
Kane, a Buffalo native, was the first pick in the 2007 NHL and has played with the Blackhawks for the past two seasons. He won the Calder Trophy in 2008, awarded to the NHL's top rookie.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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