New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers assaulted his girlfriend after becoming enraged after someone called her cell phone, authorities said Monday.
Braintree Police Department said they responded to a disturbance at a residential address at 4:15 am on Saturday after a caller stated that her boyfriend, later identified as Peppers, “hit her, choked her, took off her clothing, and put her outside. ”
The woman, 34, told police that Peppers had choked her “at least six times” before pushing her down the stairs in his residence, according to the incident report from Braintree Police Department.
Peppers, 29, was charged with assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation and possession of cocaine. He appeared in Quincy District Court for an arraignment hearing on Monday morning, during which he pleaded not guilty pleas for all counts.
The Patriots security was ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victim. He posted a $2,500 bail on the charges.
More Sports from NBC News
Upon the police’s arrival at Peppers’ home Saturday morning, the woman told officers that Peppers, who she stated was her on-and-off boyfriend of three years, had “put his hands on my neck and smashed my head against the wall” before pushing her down the stairs.
The woman told police that she and Peppers were having intercourse when someone called her phone, which prompted Peppers to become upset and tell her to leave. She didn’t specify who called her.
She said that Peppers pushed her out of the bedroom, while they were both still naked, until he put his hands around her neck in the hallway. She then stated that he smashed her head against the wall before pushing her down the stairs.
She told officers that Peppers had thrown her phone and purse down the stairs after her, continuing to tell her to leave.
After being taken to Braintree police station, Peppers told police that the woman had refused to leave his apartment and he denied that he put his hands on her during the argument. According to Peppers, she became agitated after he declined to have intercourse with her without using a condom.
He stated that he tried to block her from re-entering his bedroom after the argument before she fell down the stairs on her own accord because she was “intoxicated.”
The Braintree police report stated that Peppers believes she is making these allegations “to destroy his career.”
An officer wrote in the report that while the woman was with police, she did not noticeably smell like alcohol, nor was slurring her words or acting “unsteady.”
The victim was treated by emergency medical services at the scene. No information on their condition was released.
Peppers is a team captain but did not play in Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins due to a shoulder injury. The 29-year-old plays safety for the Patriots and is a New Jersey native. This is his third season in New England, after three seasons with the New York Giants and two with the Cleveland Browns.
The Patriots issued a statement about the situation on Monday morning.
“We are aware of an incident involving Jabrill Peppers over the weekend in which the police are currently investigating. “We will have no further comment at this time,” the statement said.
