An attorney for Johnny Manziel confirmed reports by CBS and ABC affiliates in Dallas that the former quarterback will be indicted in connection with an incident in which he allegedly struck his ex-girlfriend in January.
The indictment, Robert Hinton said prosecutors had told him, will come Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. Brittany Dunn, a spokeswoman for the Dallas County district attorney’s office declined to confirm the indictment, though, when reached by the AP. Manziel is expected to face an assault charge for family violence, a Class A misdemeanor that carries punishment of up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
The grand jury reviewed evidence in the case Thursday and some observers expected an indictment. Dallas police had referred the misdemeanor case to the grand jury rather than arrest Manziel in February even though more typically grand juries hear felony cases.
Citing sources, CBS DFW also reported that Manziel and Colleen Crowley had reached an out-of-court civil settlement of undisclosed terms. In February, a judge had placed a protective order on the ex-Cleveland Browns player, in which he must stay at least 500 feet away from Crowley for the next two years.
Crowley had told police that the incident, which took place Jan. 29, began with an argument about another woman. She said that, after he forced her into his car, she jumped out and hid behind some bushes. When he found her and threw her back into the car, he struck her and told her that he was going to drop her off at her vehicle and then kill himself.
“He grabbed me by my hair and threw me back into the car and got back in himself,” Crowley said in an affidavit filed on Feb 3. “He hit me with his open hand on my left ear for jumping out of the car. I realized immediately that I could not hear out of that ear, and I still cannot today, two days later. Fearful for my life, I hit Respondent several times, hoping I could back out of the car. Respondent threw me off of him and I hit my head on the car window and I fell into the passenger floorboard. Still fearful for my life, I stayed in the floorboard motionless until Respondent pulled me back onto the seat.”
In March, Manziel was released by the Browns following two seasons marked by injury-marred, inconsistent play on the field and unrepentant partying off of it. Last week, the former Heisman Trophy winner was dropped by his agent, the second time this year that has happened. Also last week, Manziel was dropped by another company he endorsed, Panini trading cards. Earlier this year, Nike dropped him.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post ยท Des Bieler, Cindy Boren
