A woman testified Thursday that New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers grabbed her by the neck, slammed her against the wall and pushed her down the stairs after another man called her cellphone several times while they were in bed.
The 29-year-old NFL player, who signed a three-year extension with the Patriots last summer, is accused of assaulting a woman last fall after a sexual encounter. His trial was scheduled to get underway Wednesday with jury selection, but was postponed after a water main break at Quincy District Court.
The woman testified on the first day of the Peppers’ trial on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Along with her testimony, prosecutors showed several videos of the incident, in which Peppers can be seen asking the naked woman to repeatedly leave his house in Braintree, Massachusetts. The woman said Peppers was filming her and taunting her, as she tried to get her belongings and depart after the alleged assault.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
The police report of the October incident supports the woman’s testimony. Police said she refused to go to a hospital and was treated at the home for her injuries.
“He grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against the wall,” the woman said, at times getting emotional. “My feet weren’t touching the wall and he was holding me up against the wall.”
The attorney for Peppers, Marc Brofsky, challenged the woman’s account and the extent of her injuries during cross-examination — noting she waited to call the police until she left Peppers’ house and didn’t go to the hospital for treatment of injuries she sustained to her face and knee.
“If your head was smashed open, you were strangled and you were thrown down a set of stairs and you had serious injuries, wouldn’t you go to the hospital,” Brofsky asked the woman.
He also brought up a civil lawsuit the woman has filed against Peppers, noting she was “looking for money.”
But the woman disputed that it was about money, saying, “You can’t put a number on trauma.” She said she was also looking for an apology and for Peppers to get counseling for anger management.
In the early morning after the alleged assault, Peppers answered the door shirtless, nodding his head and telling police, “I know what is going on,” according to court documents. He was arrested without incident. Police said they found a clear plastic bag at the home containing a white powder, which later tested positive for cocaine.
On Thursday, Peppers admitted to cocaine possession ahead of his domestic violence trial. That was continued without finding, which means if he stays out of trouble over the next four months the charge will be dropped.
Peppers took the stand late Thursday for the defense. He started by testifying about his relationship with the woman before court ended for the day. He is expected to resume his testimony Friday.
Peppers missed seven games since being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list on Oct. 9 following the incident.
This prevented him from practicing or playing with the Patriots but allowed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to place him on paid leave while reviewing his case. He was removed from the list on Nov. 25 but appeared in only two of the Patriots’ final five games this season because of foot and hamstring injuries. He was placed on injured reserve before the team’s season finale against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 5.
Peppers was originally drafted by Cleveland in 2017 and spent two seasons with the Cleveland Browns before playing for the New York Giants for three seasons.
The league said previously that its review of Peppers’ criminal case is ongoing and was not affected by the change in his roster status that allowed him to return to play. His current contract with the Patriots runs through 2027.
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