UNC assault suspect tells his side of story

HILLSBOROUGH (WTVD) -- A man charged in the kidnapping and robbing of three UNC football players tells his side of story in his exclusive interview with Eyewitness News.

Michael Lewis and two women face several charges. Police say the women tied up three players, then beat and fondled them. They also say Lewis held a knife to the players' throats and tried to rob them.

And although Lewis admits trying to steal some things from the player's apartment and running from police, he says as far as the other accusations -- he's innocent.

Lewis says he and his two friends, Monique Taylor and Tnika Washington were at the Martini Bar in Chapel Hill last Saturday night when a UNC football player propositioned one of the girls.

"When I came back he was talking to Monique," Lewis said. "He was like, 'I like your friend,' this that and the third. Do you want to come back to my place? And I'm like, 'Well, I don't really know nobody, but if she want to go, you know, I'm not just going to leave my friend.'"

When they got back to the Chapel Hill apartment, Lewis says one of the players started talking about sex, bondage and money.

"He's like, 'I want to pay for a foursome,'" Lewis said. "And I'm like, 'Pay for a foursome? I ain't with that. He's like let them tie us up it'll be cool dude.'"

Lewis said he chose not to participate and sat in the living room, but the three football players told police a different story.

They claim the women not only tied them up but beat and fondled them. They also say a naked Lewis held a butcher knife to the players' throats and tired robbing them.

Lewis says that is simply not true.

"I had clothes on, but I didn't have no knife in my hand," Lewis said.

According to police, Lewis fled the scene but not before pushing an officer down a flight of stairs and biting another in the groin.

"No, he was still on my back when I ran down the steps," Lewis said. "We both fell down the steps. I didn't push him down the steps. I didn't bite him [in the] groin. I bit him on his thigh."

Court records also show Lewis tried to steal the players' wallets, an XBox, a laptop computer, a flat screen TV and an iPod.

"Yes, I did run, yes, I did try to steal some of their things," Lewis admitted. "But as far as the knife play and gun play, putting knives and sexually assaulting and all that stuff, I had noting to do with that. It was no sexual assault. They wanted what they got."

Police contradict a lot of what Lewis told Eyewitness News, and he is facing serious charges.

Even though there are allegations of paying for sex, no prostitution charges have been filed.

The university says the three players are OK.

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