Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook will have a March 21 preliminary hearing on a misdemeanor charge of brandishing a firearm after his arrest Saturday following an argument with a neighbor in his hometown of Lynchburg, Va., the Minneapolis *Star Tribune* reported Tuesday, citing a court record.
Cook has denied a WSET-TV report that he pulled out a gun during the dispute.
Cook, 24, told the *Star Tribune* that the confrontation with a neighbor did not escalate to a physical fight. Cook says he was riding his bike near his home when the neighbor began yelling at him. He says the neighbor wrongly believed Cook had called police about the neighbor's brother.
"I wasn't in any fight or nothing," he told the newspaper. "It was just an argument. ... You're not going to scream at me like I'm your child, so I screamed back at him."
Lynchburg Police Capt. Ryan Zuidema told The Associated Press that Cook, 24, is accused of brandishing a firearm. The Vikings are not allowed to have contact with Cook per the guidelines of the NFL lockout.
Cook said he had recently received a license to carry a concealed weapon, but denied pulling a gun on the man as reported. He says he was taken to the police station, but did not spend any time in jail.
"It's just crazy," Cook said. "I just have to deal with it the best way I can. I wish it didn't happen. I wish I would have never got in an argument, but that's what happened."
Cook, a rookie last season, appeared in six games for the Vikings in 2010, finishing with 21 tackles during an injury-riddled campaign that saw him sidelined with multiple knee injuries.
The Vikings selected Cook in the second round of last April's draft out of Virginia -- their first-overall pick.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
