Josh Jacobs, running back for the Green Bay Packers, has been charged with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property.
Wisconsin court records confirmed the formal charges on Thursday, which come three months after his arrest for alleged domestic violence at his home.
“Our office sought to ensure a fair and complete review of available evidence, some of which only recently became available to our office due to significant, ongoing forensic efforts by law enforcement,” Brown County District Attorney David L. Lasee said in a statement.
“A criminal complaint is nothing more than a written, formal accusation against a defendant alleging the commission of criminal offenses and does not raise any inference of guilt,” it added. Mr. Jacobs is presumed innocent of these charges. As this is an ongoing criminal case, and out of respect for the rights of all parties, our office will not have further comment on the matter at this time.”
Jacobs has been charged with Class A misdemeanors and faces over a $10,000 fine and possible nine months in prison if convicted. According to ESPN, the conflict began when Jacobs’ alleged girlfriend searched his phone and found he had been talking to other women.
She became upset and threw his phone. She told Jacobs he could look through her phone and to call a car to take her to Chicago. When she tried to retrieve her phone, according to the complaint, Jacobs did not return it, grabbed her arm, and began a physical struggle that lasted several minutes.
Later, the complaint said the woman was trying to exit Jacobs’ garage when he “grabbed her and threw her to the ground, and she struck her head, suffering an injury.”
The report says a police officer “observed redness to [her] face and neck and was able to feel that she had a bump on the back of her head. She described that she was in pain as a result of the injuries.” She also said Jacobs did not return one of her phones and damaged the other.
Jacobs’ attorneys said that the prosecutors filed misdemeanor charges against the star athlete, not domestic violence, adding that they will be addressed in court. NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said the league will conduct its own investigation into Jacobs’ conduct.
“We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review,” NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said Thursday.
“We will continue to cooperate with the NFL as we work through the process. We will have no further comment at this time,” said a spokesperson for the Green Bay Packers.