Police: O.J. Simpson in Altercation

MIAMI (AP) â€” O.J. Simpson was involved in an altercation with another motorist who claimed the former football great grabbed his glasses and scratched him, police said. <br><br>Jeffrey Pattinson, 55,

Tuesday, December 5th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MIAMI (AP) â€” O.J. Simpson was involved in an altercation with another motorist who claimed the former football great grabbed his glasses and scratched him, police said.

Jeffrey Pattinson, 55, told police that he saw a black Lincoln Navigator drive past a stop sign late Monday in the suburban community of Kendall. Pattinson said he ``flicked his lights'' at the sport utility vehicle.

The Navigator stopped and its driver exited the vehicle and walked toward the other car, Detective Rudy Espinosa said. The two men argued briefly, he said.

Simpson then ``reached inside the car and pulled the glasses off the victim's face, causing a small scratch on his face,'' Espinosa said.

``The victim went home and called police and was able to identify the driver of the black Navigator as Orenthal James Simpson,'' Espinosa said.

Simpson called local television station WSVN Tuesday morning and denied wrongdoing. He said he told Pattinson, ``You got your bright lights on me, sitting on my heels. I've got two kids in this car, guy. What are you doing?''

Simpson said the man ``said something else and I told him where could go with it and I got in my car and took my kids home.''

Simpson has not been charged. He was to be questioned Tuesday by Miami-Dade police. Pattinson could not be reached for comment; his wife, reached at their home Tuesday morning, said he wasn't there.

In a nationally televised trial, Simpson was acquitted of the June 1994 slayings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. In a subsequent civil trial, Simpson was found liable for the killings in a suit filed by their families. He was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages.

Simpson moved to South Florida earlier this year.

In September, Simpson's sometimes girlfriend, Christie Prody, accused him of using a key to break into her Miami-Dade County home, erase a message on her answering machine and take a letter. She called police but did not press charges.

In May, police were called to a Miami hotel by security after Simpson and Prody got into a loud, late evening dispute where Prody allegedly slapped and kicked him. Simpson refused to press charges.

In October 1999, police responded to a 911 call Simpson placed from Prody's house. According to a police report, Simpson said Prody had been on a cocaine binge. Simpson later called that a misunderstanding, and said he had placed the call about one of Prody's friends.