Following the Ray Rice elevator incident and Adrian Peterson’s child abuse charges, Arizona Cardinals backup running back Jonathan Dwyer became the latest NFL player to be arrested for domestic violence.
Dwyer, 25, was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault against his wife and 1-year-old son. His wife reportedly suffered a broken bone. He was also accused of preventing someone from calling 911.
From AZ Central:
In the Dwyer case, police said the woman, whom they did not name, left the state with the child shortly after the incidents, which occurred on two separate days in late July.
She did not report them until Sept. 11, said Sgt. Trent Crump, a Phoenix police spokesman. He did not say why she came forward last week, and it could not be determined if she was prompted by the Rice controversy.
Investigators have spent the time since collecting medical records to verify some of the allegations and interviewing witnesses, some of whom reported the incidents to police as the arguments between the couple became heated at their southeast Phoenix home.
Police initially responded to the home on July 21 after neighbors called to report a disturbance, Crump said.
Dwyer has admitted his involvement in the incidents but denied the allegations of physical abuse, Crump said.
When police arrived at the home, the woman (identified as Dwyer’s wife) told them the argument was verbal and that the running back was not at home. But according to Crump, Dwyer was hiding in the bathroom until police left.
Dwyer and the woman got into another argument a day later, on July 22, and police believe he took the woman’s cellphone and threw it from the second floor of their home, Crump said.
Police believe that Dwyer, during the second incident, also took a shoe and threw it toward their 1-year-old child.
Investigators said Dwyer threatened to harm himself on the night the incident occurred in an attempt to keep the woman from contacting police, Crump said.
Soon after Dwyer was arrested on Wednesday at the team’s training facility, the Cardinals released this statement:
“We became aware of these allegations this afternoon when notified by Phoenix police and are cooperating fully.
“Given the serious nature of the allegations, we have taken the immediate step to deactivate Jonathan from all team activities. We will continue to closely monitor this as it develops and evaluate additional information as it becomes available.”
Dwyer could not be reached for comment.
SOURCE: AZ Central | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
