Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore accused of throwing girlfriend to the ground
New England Patriots linebacker Christian J. Barmore is facing domestic assault and battery after his girlfriend told police that he threw her to the ground at her home outside Boston in August.
The criminal complaint, published Dec. 18, alleged that Barmore, 26, briefly took the woman’s phone inside the home in Mansfield, Massachusetts, threw her to the ground and grabbed her by the shirt.
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Mansfield Police Sgt. John Armstrong said the woman called police on Aug. 25 to report what had happened almost three weeks earlier. The woman told police he stayed at the house periodically throughout their several-year relationship.
Barmore’s attorney, David Meier, said in a statement Wednesday that “the evidence will show that no criminal activity occurred.” Meier described it as a personal matter and said he expected the issue to be “resolved in the near future and for both parties to move forward together.”
The woman told police she took her daughter to Barmore’s bedroom early on the morning of Aug. 8, where Barmore became upset because the thermostat was 2 degrees warmer than she preferred. He said his daughters wanted to see him.
Barmore allegedly “picked up the child, placed him on the floor just outside the master bedroom, returned to the room and slammed the door,” according to police.
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According to the criminal complaint, as the woman was packing her belongings to leave later in the day, Barmore took the phone from her and stopped calling the woman’s mother. When she went to the front door to call for help, Barmore “grabbed her before she could and threw her to the ground,” police said.
The woman told police Barmore grabbed her by the shirt but “eventually let go” and she stood up. A car provided by the team picked up the woman and her daughter and took them to Delaware. He gave police a photo showing bruises he said were sustained when he was thrown to the ground.
New England coach Mike Vrabel said Barmore was away from the team Wednesday with an illness, but he hasn’t heard of anything that would make him unable to play Sunday.
“We made a statement and took the allegations very seriously,” Vrabel said, referring to the allegations against both Barmore and the buyer. Stefon Diggs. Diggs was charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery for a dispute with his former personal chief.
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“I don’t think we should come to any conclusions right now. Let the process take its toll,” Vrabel said.
A hearing was scheduled for early February. The charge is a misdemeanor.
The team’s public relations office sent an email saying it was aware of the incident when it occurred and notified the league.
“The matter remains part of the ongoing legal process. We will respect that process, continue to monitor the situation closely as we have over the last several months, and cooperate fully with the league,” the Patriots said.
barmore a second round election from the University of Alabama in 2021.
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Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press reporter Kyle Hightower contributed from Foxborough, Massachusetts.
