New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore is facing a misdemeanor domestic assault charge stemming from an alleged incident on 8 August in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Barmore, 26, was in a relationship with the alleged victim, according to court documents cited Wednesday by Boston television station WCVB.
The woman told police she attempted to leave a house after an argument when Barmore “grabbed her before she could and threw her to the floor”, according to documents filed in Attleborough district court.
A criminal complaint was issued on 16 December and Barmore is scheduled to be arraigned on 3 February.
The Patriots released a statement but did not address whether Barmore will play in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins.
“The New England Patriots are aware of reports regarding a pending February arraignment involving Christian Barmore, which stems from an alleged domestic incident that occurred in August,” the team said. “The Patriots were made aware at the time of the incident and informed the NFL in a timely manner. The matter remains part of an ongoing legal process. We will respect that process, continue to monitor the situation closely, as we have over the past few months, and cooperate fully with the league. We will have no further comment at this time.”
Barmore is the second Patriots player this week to face off-field legal scrutiny. On Tuesday, it emerged that wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing a felony strangulation charge in connection with an alleged incident on 2 December.
Head coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday that Barmore did not practice due to illness and added that he had not heard “anything that would keep either player from the game”.
Asked whether he was disappointed by the distractions surrounding Barmore and Diggs, Vrabel said: “I would say not disappointing at all. I think that these are allegations. It’s things that we have to handle. Every day there are distractions, some are smaller than others. I’m confident that we’ll focus on the Dolphins, and those two individuals will be able to handle the ongoing legal process.”
Barmore has played in all 16 games this season, making 15 starts for the AFC East champion Patriots (13-3). He has one sack, 26 tackles and nine quarterback hits. He was selected by New England in the second round of the 2021 draft.
