NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
The attorney for a former Tennessee Titans linebacker accused of roughing up and robbing a Nashville taxi driver says he believes his client is innocent and the driver has questionable credibility.
Hours before his arrest, Keith Bulluck was working as a TV analyst on the Titans' preseason broadcast at LP Field, but what may or may not have happened later that night in front of a midtown bar is drawing questions.
Bulluck's defense team says information obtained by a private investigator leads them to believe Bulluck didn't do anything wrong.
"Developed a lot of good facts in Keith's favor. I believe 100 percent in Keith Bulluck. He's a good man who has done wonderful things for this community," said Bulluck's attorney, Bryan Lewis.
United Cab Company driver Habib Hashi told police Bulluck grabbed him early Sunday morning and robbed him of $100. According to court documents, the driver's shirt was torn when police got to the scene.
Channel 4 News previously covered a story with Hashi, who made a similar complaint against Tennessee State Senator Ophelia Ford. He accused Ford of tearing his shirt during an altercation when she was drunk back in 2007.
And he was convicted of filing a false report in 1999.
Now, the Channel 4 I-Team has uncovered what's being called a frivolous lawsuit Hashi filed in 2009, seeking $500,000 from a store in the Opry Mills Mall.
He claimed the store falsely accused him of shoplifting and forced him to strip down to his underwear.
Hashi later dropped the suit, and the court ordered him to pay $1,400 in fees to the people he sued.
The driver's former boss at Yellow Cab, who fired Hashi two years ago, says Hashi has a history of making up stories, including falsely claiming he was beaten by soldiers.
"This guy is a pathological liar," said former employer Doug Trimble. "He's an instigator. He likes fabricating wild stories. His nickname is Pinocchio."
Bulluck's lawyer says he hopes to have the case resolved before it goes to trial.
"We feel confident Keith will be exonerated," Lewis said.
It's important to note Metro police didn't sign the robbery warrant against Bulluck. Hashi brought the charge himself and was the one to sign the warrant.
It also seems Hashi may be facing financial trouble.
There are eviction notices posted on his door, and the Channel 4 I-Team has uncovered a lawsuit brought against him in May for crashing his cab into a Montgomery County man's car downtown.
Channel 4 News has reached out to Hashi to get his side of the story, but he referred us to his attorney, who has not yet called us back.
Bulluck is due in court Sept. 26. He played for the Titans for 10 seasons and has been an analyst on the Titans' preseason television games the past two seasons.
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Habib Hashi (left) and Keith Bulluck
