Hamlin details stay muddied

Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin remained in serious but stable condition Tuesday in the intensive-care unit at Harborview Hospital.

It was the description of the events surrounding his injuries that began to change.

Hamlin, 24, hired defense attorney John Wolfe one day after the owner of Larry’s Nightclub said Hamlin resisted peacekeeping attempts in the confrontation outside the Pioneer Square establishment early Monday morning.

“We’re troubled by the accusation that Ken was the aggressor,” Wolfe said. “The accusation was false, and I’ve been brought in to defend him.”

Hamlin suffered a fractured skull, had a blood clot and swelling of the brain tissue in the incident, which is being investigated as an assault. Hamlin’s brother, Keith, was also involved in the confrontation, and suffered undisclosed injuries.

Larry Culp, the club’s owner, showed the surveillance footage to multiple media outlets on Monday. Culp was not present at the time of the incident, but said the surveillance footage and descriptions from his security personnel support his claim that Hamlin resisted attempts to be restrained.

“All I know is the video and we’re restraining him in the video,” Culp said Tuesday, when asked about his description of the incident. “It’s free speech.”

Culp said other Seahawks were present at the club, but did not identify them. The team has not said what other players were present.

Seattle police on Tuesday continued to investigate both the assault on Hamlin and the slaying of Terrell Devon Milam, 31, whose family contends was involved in the fight with Hamlin just three hours before his body was discovered.

“We’re still looking into the possibility of a connection,” police spokeswoman Debra Brown said.

The investigations remain separate, but concurrent, within the homicide unit.

Detectives investigating the assault on Hamlin are reviewing the 911 tapes, so department officials declined to release those tapes publicly.

“They’re part of the investigation,” Brown said.

The department would not release any additional information on the assault, nor on Milam’s death. Milam’s younger brother, Tramaine Isabell, identified Milam on surveillance tape and said his brother punched Hamlin during the altercation.

A police report of the altercation was based on a witness, identified in the report as Hamlin’s girlfriend. She said the incident started as Hamlin led her out of the club, saying “excuse me” as he moved past a man.

Soon, the two men were shoving each other and, according to the witness, Hamlin punched the man with his right hand. She said another man knocked Hamlin down. A different witness said someone struck Hamlin twice with a metal street sign while he was on the ground.

The surveillance footage does not show Hamlin either throwing a punch or being struck.

He is shown pulling away from people who are trying to restrain him. Hamlin suffered a fractured right hand at some point in the altercation, presumably from a punch.

It’s believed that Hamlin’s brother has returned to Houston after speaking with the police.

Michael Hamlin, their father, is a police officer in Memphis, Tenn. He declined comment Tuesday night.

Hamlin’s mother arrived in town Monday. Lawrence Temple, Hamlin’s agent, also arrived on Monday. He was with Hamlin at the hospital on Tuesday.

“Ken is in stable condition but remains under observation,” Temple said in the statement announcing the hiring of Wolfe.

“He is conscious and has his family with him in this time of need. Ken and his family appreciate the well wishes but ask that people respect his privacy in this time of recovery.”

Several teammates came to visit Hamlin on Tuesday, the team’s day off.

Meanwhile, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office said Milam died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Milam, whose aliases included T-Kidd, TK and Trey, was well known to police and had spent nine years and 2 months out of the last 11 years in prison.