Raiders’ Tom Cable won’t face charges

Oakland Raiders Coach Tom Cable won’t face charges after being investigated over allegations that he assaulted one of his assistants, ending a two-month saga that was a cloud over the team’s season.

Napa County Dist. Atty. Gary Lieberstein said Thursday that the investigation concluded no charges were warranted.

“Our duty is to do the right thing for the right reasons,” Lieberstein said. “Under the facts and circumstances of this case, it would be a miscarriage of justice to pursue criminal charges, and we will not ask our citizens to give up their valuable time for jury duty, nor will we allow our criminal justice system to be compromised.”

Cable has denied the charges from the beginning and said shortly before the district attorney’s announcement that he trusted the legal system. Cable said he did not intend to speak to the media again until today.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that criminal charges need not be brought against Cable for the NFL to discipline him if he broke the league’s conduct rules.

The alleged attack occurred at the team’s training camp hotel on Aug. 5 in Napa, after Cable called Randy Hanson into a meeting with defensive coordinator John Marshall and defensive backs coaches Lionel Washington and Willie Brown.

Hanson told Yahoo Sports this month that Cable came up from behind him and knocked him out of his chair. Hanson said he broke his jaw and cracked two teeth after hitting a table. Hanson also alleged that Cable threatened to kill him before the other coaches pulled him away.

Calls to Hanson’s attorney, John McGuinn, were not immediately returned Thursday. He told Comcast SportsNet California that he did not understand the decision not to press charges.

“All I know is they had abundant evidence to proceed, but they chose not to,” McGuinn said. “I don’t know why they didn’t.”

Lieberstein said there was not enough evidence for a jury to convict Cable of any offenses beyond a reasonable doubt.

He said interviews with the three assistants established that Cable did not punch Hanson or make any verbal threats. He said evidence showed Cable became angry and rushed toward Hanson, but Washington stepped between the coaches.

Cable ran into Washington, who bumped into Hanson and knocked him out of his chair. The witnesses also told authorities that Cable then grabbed Hanson by the shirt but never struck or threatened him. Cable did not talk to police.

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Jets players benched

New York Jets Coach Rex Ryan benched safety James Ihedigbo and linebacker Marques Murrell for the team’s next game because he thought they took things too far by throwing punches at Buffalo’s Derek Fine during a 16-13 overtime loss last weekend.

“Quite honestly, that’s not the way we’re going to play football,” Ryan said Thursday, speaking for the first time about his decision. “What they did was selfish, I thought.”

Ihedigbo and Murrell each was fined $5,000 by the NFL for their actions Sunday, and Ryan plans to make both players inactive for New York’s game at Oakland.

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Etc.

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu didn’t practice for the second straight day while he heals from a left knee injury. Polamalu is not believed to have had a setback in his rehabilitation, and he’s expected to play Sunday against Minnesota as long as he practices today. . . . Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid said linebacker Omar Gaither will have surgery on his left foot and will sit out the rest of the season. Gaither suffered the injury during Sunday’s loss to the Raiders. . . . The San Diego Chargers have had numerous players miss practice as they continue preparations for Sunday’s game at Kansas City. Running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Jacob Hester, wide receiver Buster Davis and linebacker Jyles Tucker were unable to practice Thursday. Coach Norv Turner said, “We have a little bit of the flu going around.”