Co-defendant: Guns were O.J. Simpson's idea

updated 7:12 p.m. ET Oct. 17, 2007

LAS VEGAS - O.J. Simpson wanted armed men with him when he confronted two sports memorabilia dealers, according to a co-defendant who has agreed to a plea deal agreed to testify for the prosecution in the armed robbery case.

"O.J. said 'Hey, just bring some firearms,"' Walter Alexander told police in a transcript of his tape-recorded statement obtained by The Associated Press.

Alexander told police after his arrest Sept. 15 that he and another man showed up with guns at the former football star's request, then headed with him into a casino hotel room to retrieve collectibles that Simpson said belonged to him.

"He said ... 'we won't have to use 'em, but ... just to look tough, you know, so that these people know that, you know, we're here for business,"' Alexander said.

Simpson's attorneys, Yale Galanter of Miami, and Gabriel Grasso of Las Vegas, did not immediately respond Wednesday to requests for comment.

Simpson has denied guns were involved.

Alexander, 46, told police he carried a .22-caliber handgun in his waistband and Michael McClinton, who gave him that gun, pulled a larger pistol from a holster and displayed it in the room. Alexander said he did not know the caliber of the other gun.

Police have alleged that McClinton, who Alexander called "Spencer," impersonated a law enforcement officer during the alleged robbery.

"Spencer went in kinda, you know, being Mr. Tough Guy," Alexander said, adding that McClinton's behavior "made things a lot worse than they probably would've been."

Defendant: Simpson tried to calm situation
Alexander characterized Simpson as talkative and apparently surprised by McClinton's aggressive actions, saying, "Calm down, dude, you know, I mean, calm down, put them guns down." McClinton responded that he needed to make sure memorabilia dealers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley weren't armed.

"I mean, Juice had told him just to carry the gun, not to, you know, take it out, just to show it," Alexander said, using Simpson's nickname from his NFL days. "But now he brought the gun out and he was like, you know, 'Up against the walls, up against the walls."'

Fact file Is this what O.J. was after? NBC News has obtained exclusive photos of the items O.J. Simpson allegedly tried to seize from a hotel room in Las Vegas.

Alexander's 45-page account, which is provided in court documents turned over by prosecutors to defense attorneys, raises the legal stakes for Simpson, who has told AP that guns were not involved in the Sept. 13 encounter.

"If it's true, it hurts O.J. tremendously," said Edward Miley, lawyer for co-defendant Charles Cashmore, who also has agreed to a plea deal.

"It puts him at the scene where he knew there were firearms," Miley said of Simpson. "Under conspiracy law in Nevada, he's on the hook, if they can prove it."

Lawyers for McClinton and co-defendants Clarence "C.J." Stewart and Charles Ehrlich did not immediately respond to messages left Wednesday. McClinton's lawyer, Bill Terry, has said McClinton, 49, works in the security industry and had a valid concealed weapons permit.

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