QUINCY – New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers will go on trial Wednesday in Quincy, Massachusetts on domestic violence charges.
Peppers, 29, was arrested last October in Braintree. Police said he pushed his girlfriend’s head against a wall and choked her six times after she received a phone call while they were in bed together.
Jabrill Peppers is under attack
He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment last fall to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class B substance believed to be cocaine, according to court documents.
Police said Pepper’s girlfriend refused to go to a hospital and was treated for her injuries at home.
Peppers answered the door shirtless, nodded his head and told police, “I know what’s 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.
In a court filing in October, Peppers’ attorney, Marc Brofsky, said evidence “casts genuine doubt on the allegations, including videotaped evidence.” He said Peppers agreed not to have contact with the woman.
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Jabrill Peppers career
Peppers has missed seven games since being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list on Oct. 9 after the incident. This prevented him from practicing or playing with the Patriots, but allowed NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to place a player on paid leave while he reviewed his case. That was him DELETED from the list on November 25 and lost his role as team captain. He played in just two of the Patriots’ final five games this season due to foot and hamstring injuries. He was placed on injured reserve before the team’s season finale against the Buffalo Bills on January 5.
The Patriots signed Peppers, a safety in his third season with the team, to an extension over the summer. Peppers was originally drafted by Cleveland in 2017 and spent two seasons with the Browns before playing three seasons for the New York Giants.
The league previously said its review of Peppers’ criminal case is ongoing and was not affected by the change in Peppers’ roster status, which allowed him to return to play. His current contract with the Patriots runs until 2027.
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Associated Press writers Michael Casey and Kyle Hightower contributed to this report.