Former NFL safety Patrick Chung has been arrested on domestic violence charges involving the mother of one of his children, according to reports.
Chung, who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, was charged with assault and battery against a family member and vandalism Monday following the alleged domestic violence attack at a home in Milton, Massachusetts, according to court records by the Boston Globe.
Chung, 34, of Norton, pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday in Quincy District Court and was released without posting cash bail, the newspaper reported.
A woman told police Chung pushed her to the ground, hit her with an open hand and destroyed her cellphone during the alleged attack. She did not require treatment from responding paramedics, CBS Boston reported.
A judge granted the woman — who is the mother of Chung’s son — a civil restraining order against the former Patriot in court Tuesday, meaning he’ll be criminally charged if he violates the terms, the Globe reported.
Chung’s attorney, meanwhile, cast him as the “victim” in the incident during Tuesday’s court appearance, the newspaper reported.
“Mr. Chung is an upstanding member of the community, wonderful father, and he looks forward to be able to set this straight in respect to what actually occurred,” attorney Sandy Pesiridis said. “He is the victim … in this matter.”
The woman was not identified in a police report or in court, the Globe reported. She told cops she got a call from her son who was staying with Chung on Monday. The boy said the former NFL star was driving fast and that he was “scared of his father’s behavior,” according to the police report.
Chung allegedly attacked the woman outside her Milton home, where she waited for him to arrive. She slapped Chung in retaliation, prompting him to hit her again before grabbing her cellphone and throwing it to the ground, the police report states.
Chung then drove off and was later arrested at his home, police said. The report concluded that he was the “initial aggressor” in the incident.
Chung is due back in court on Jan. 7, CBS Boston reported.
The arrest is not Chung’s first brush with the law. He was indicted in August 2019 for possession of cocaine in New Hampshire, where cops found the drug at a home he owned earlier that summer, the Globe reported.
New Hampshire prosecutors later agreed to drop the charge in January 2020 if the former Oregon Ducks standout stayed out of trouble for two years, submitted to drug testing and did community service, the newspaper reported.
It’s unclear if Chung’s latest arrest violated the conditions of that agreement.
Chung — who has nearly 95,000 followers on Twitter, including former teammate Tom Brady — tweeted Monday to his fans.
“Best day of my life,” the post read.
“Being arrested for domestic abuse was the best day of your life?” one reply read. “Thought maybe one of them superbowls.”
Chung, a native of Jamaica who played 11 NFL seasons, retired from the league in March after opting out of the 2020-21 campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic. He was also named to its 2010s All-Decade Team.
