Charges Against Lopez Dropped; Combs Arrested on Gun Charges

NEW YORK — – Police have decided not to prosecute Jennifer Lopez, who was arrested along with her boyfriend, music giant and infamous party host Sean "Puffy" Combs, on gun charges Monday after police found a stolen pistol in their car as they left a New York nightclub after a shooting.

Combs, 30, was arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a weapon and released on $10,000 bail. At a hearing set for Feb. 14, he will learn if he has been indicted.

"I do not own a gun. I do not carry a gun. The charges and allegations against me are 100 percent false, I feel confident that in the next couple of days, I will be vindicated and everything will be all right," Combs said outside Manhattan Criminal Court.

Lopez, 29, did not say anything to reporters or a handful of fans as she left a police station this afternoon.

Prosecutors said trouble broke out at Club New York in Manhattan shortly before 3 a.m. EST on Monday when Combs got into an argument with other patrons, one of whom threw money at him.

Prosecutor Matthew Bogdanos said Combs and Jamal Barrow, a member of Combs' entourage, pulled out weapons and Barrow repeatedly fired at the person who had thrown the money.

Barrow, also known as Shine, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count of reckless endangerment.

Barrow, 21, was arrested at the club after police took a 9 mm gun from him, prosecutors said, adding that ballistic tests linked the weapon to the shootings.

One police source, speaking to foxnews.1eye.us on condition of anonymity, said the New York Police Department would probably pursue more serious charges against millionaire rapper Combs, who has a history of violence.

"They're definitely going after this guy. This is real time," the source said. "I think they're going to try to get him. They'll probably try to find some drug information or rap garbage on him."

Three people were injured that night in shootings at the dance club, including a woman who was shot in the face and two men who were shot in the shoulders, police said. The shootings took place about 2:20 a.m. About 10 minutes later, police responding to the shootings stopped Combs and Lopez nearby as they sped away in a sports utility vehicle, Officer John Giammarino said.

Officers stopped the car because it was leaving the scene of the shooting, Giammarino said.

Prosecutors said the vehicle eluded police during a high-speed chase on Eighth Avenue, going through at least 11 red lights until being forced off the street by a police car.

A second 9 mm handgun was found on the floor of the car, according to the criminal complaint. It described the weapon as loaded and unlicensed.

Bogdanos said at least one witness saw Combs pull out a gun at the club but police said neither Combs, bodyguard Anthony Jones nor driver Wardel Fenderson were suspects in the shooting. However all three were arraigned on weapons charges, which carry sentences of up to 15 years in prison.

Jones was also charged with criminal possession of marijuana and a controlled substance, police said.

None of the four had a license for the gun found in the vehicle, Giammarino said. The gun was described as a 9 mm.

A second police source told the AP that the gun discovered in the car had been reported stolen from Georgia.

Dan Klores, a spokesman for Combs, said the gun did not belong to either Combs or Lopez. He told reporters that the two were "victims of circumstance" who were "fleeing a life-threatening situation."

"Sean Combs and Jennifer Lopez had absolutely, positively nothing to do with this shooting," said Klores.

Lopez's attorney, Lawrence Ruggiero, said she fully cooperated with authorities during more than 10 hours of questioning. "Jennifer Lopez does not own a firearm nor does she condone the use of firearms," he said in a statement.

The 29-year-old woman who had been shot in the face and the 27-year-old man who was hit in the shoulder were in stable condition in the hospital. A 39-year-old man who was shot in the shoulder refused medical treatment, police said.

The woman, who had been shot "in the nose area," would probably require surgery but was being stabilized before being taken to the operating room, Ackerman said. She was listed in critical condition, but her injury is not considered life threatening, he said.

Combs has been tainted by allegations of violence before.

He was arrested in April on charges that he and two others savagely beat record executive Steven Stoute, giving him a broken arm, a broken jaw and head cuts. Originally charged with assault, Combs pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, harassment, and was ordered to undergo one day of "anger management" counseling.

Combs has produced songs for Mariah Carey and Madonna.

Last year, Combs won two Grammys and earned an estimated $53.5 million, ranking 15th on Forbes magazine's list of highest-paid entertainers. Combs' Long Island parties were the event of the summer, attracting everyone from rock and rap personalities to Martha Stewart.

The Navigator in which the four sped away from the nightclub is owned by the recording company where Combs is the chief executive, Bad Boy Records.

The 29-year-old Lopez, once a dancer on the TV show In Living Color, has appeared in films including Selena, in which she played the title role as the doomed singer; Money Train; and Out of Sight. She released her debut album, On the 6, in June.