Santa Clara, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Things went from bad to worse for San Francisco's Aldon Smith on Wednesday, with reports surfacing that the 49ers' linebacker is facing three felony charges of possession of assault weapons.
According to multiple media outlets, including NBC Bay Arena, the Santa Clara County District Attorney filed the charges stemming from a 2012 party that Smith hosted where he was stabbed and two others were shot.
"The 49ers organization is aware of the recent developments with Aldon arising from an incident at his home in 2012," the 49ers said in a statement Wednesday. "We recognize the serious nature of this situation, as does Aldon, and will continue to monitor it closely. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment."
Smith is currently on an indefinite leave of absence from the team to seek help for a substance-abuse problem stemming from his Sept. 20 arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of marijuana.
The arrest came about two weeks after news broke of two civil lawsuits filed against Smith after two guests were shot at the party.
Details of the suit accuse Smith of firing weapons and owning illegal firearms, but do not claim he was the shooter.
On the field, Smith has been one of the NFL's premier pass rushers since being taken by San Francisco with the seventh overall pick of the 2011 draft. He notched 14 sacks during his rookie season, then ranked second in the league with 19 1/2 sacks last year while helping the 49ers to an appearance in Super Bowl XLVII.
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