SCOTTSDALE, Ariz — Toronto Maple Leafs star and Scottsdale native Auston Matthews is facing a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge for allegedly pulling down his pants and exposing his underwear to a condo security guard in Scottsdale in May.
But the woman who pressed charges against Matthews told the officer she was more upset about what happened before that.
According to the body cam interview with the victim, obtained by 12 News, and the police report, Matthews and several friends returned to his condo complex around 2 a.m. while intoxicated.
The guard, who was sitting her vehicle working on paperwork, heard one of her car doors jiggle.
She exited the vehicle to find Matthews and his friends.
"I said, 'Can I help you? What are you doing trying to get into my car?' I didn't recognize them at first. They said, 'Oh, we thought it would be funny to see how you'd react if we all got in your car in the backseat,'" she told the officer.
She said she did not find it funny, citing the fact that she is a military veteran with severe PTSD.
"They were drunk out their freaking minds but I asked them to leave me the [expletive] alone and they still thought it was funny," she told the officer in the body cam footage.
A friend of Matthews asked the guard to calm down and not tell management. That's when Matthews walked away and allegedly pulled his pants down and grabbed his buttcheeks, the police report says.
Matthews did keep his underwear on, the guard said according to police, and she did not see his butt.
The guard would later tell management.
In the body cam interview, the officer says that doesn't qualify for a public sexual indecency charge because genitals weren't seen.
She told the officer she did want to press charges for disorderly conduct.
Furthermore, she said she didn't care about that part of it. She tells the officer, "I care that [Matthews] tried to get in my car and thought it was a joke."
"You do not approach a female a 2 a.m. in the morning, thinking it's funny to see how she would react to getting in her car. There's three of you, there's one of me. You could've done anything to me and I was at a disadvantage because of that."
The officer said he couldn't press criminal charges because there wasn't proof of criminal intent.
"I know the intent is wrong. They shouldn't have done that, but I think the only thing I can really charge them with is the disorderly conduct part of it," he's heard saying.
Matthews, who is in Toronto with his team, was due in court but was not in court Wednesday morning, but had an attorney present.
At practice Wednesday, he spoke to reporters regarding the alleged incident.
"I regret any of my actions that would ever put a distraction on the team or distress any individual," Matthews told reporters at practice Wednesday. "I take a lot of pride in preparing myself for the season and representing the Toronto Maple Leafs as well as I can."
"Unfortunately, due to the circumstances of the situation, I'm afraid I can't really make any other comments," he added.