Prosecutors are dropping a domestic assault and battery charge against Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore.
The charge had stemmed from an alleged incident in Mansfield on Aug. 8 involving a member of Barmore’s household, the Herald previously reported.
A police report said that Barmore allegedly got physical with a girlfriend — taking her phone, grabbing her by the shirt, and throwing her to the floor — after getting upset about air conditioning settings and her eating his food. The victim went to the police a few weeks later on Aug. 25, bring photos of bruises allegedly caused by the event.
The victim is no longer living in Massachusetts and does not want to come to the Commonwealth to testify, prosecutors said at Attleboro District Court Monday during Barmore’s scheduled arraignment.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn also cited the delay in the report of the incident as part of the reason why it was dismissed. Often cases come to them after an arrest, when a victim has time in the moment to decide if they want to press charges, he said.
But in this case, prosecutors filed the misdemeanor charge against Barmore at the end of December, months after the alleged incident took place.
Quinn also noted that Barmore has sought counseling on his own.
“The guy does have a lot on the line,” Quinn said, noting however, that Barmore was not getting special treatment because he is a professional athlete.
“I mean I’m gonna potentially do the same do the same thing in a case later this week,” Quinn said, adding that case involves a young person of “no status.”
Quinn said that Barmore has an opportunity now with the charge dropped, telling reporters, “I hope he can make the most of it.”
“Mr. Barmore is grateful to the District Attorney’s Office for carefully evaluating the facts, reviewing the materials that his attorney shared with them, and acting in the interests of justice,” his lawyer David Meier said in a statement.
Initially, Barmore was to be arraigned in February, right before the Patriots played the Seattle Seahawks in the Superbowl, but the court date was rescheduled for Monday instead, and the defensive lineman stayed on the roster.
Prosecutors will submit a write nolle prosequi, the formal notice that the files are being dropped, tomorrow, they said in court.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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