Dallas police refer case against NFL's Manziel to grand jury

[February 26, 2016]  By Lisa Maria Garza
 
 DALLAS (Reuters) - A domestic violence complaint accusing Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel of beating his ex-girlfriend has been referred to a grand jury, Dallas police said on Thursday.

The former Heisman Trophy winner, 23, is being investigated on suspicion of hitting, kidnapping and threatening to kill 23-year-old Colleen Crowley in January, police said.

Manziel has not spoken to media about the accusations. His attorney was not immediately available for comment.

"Today, a Class A misdemeanor assault/domestic violence case has been referred to the Dallas County District Attorney’s office for presentation to a grand jury," police said in a written statement.

Dallas Police said they would not release any further information on the case.

Manziel who was known as "Johnny Football" during his standout college years at Texas A&M University, has seen his reputation for partying overshadow his career with the Browns, where he has only sporadically been used as a starting quarterback since he began playing for the team in 2014.

He is expected to be cut soon from the team.

In a police report released in early February, Crowley told officers Manziel hit her after they met friends at a Dallas hotel in late January and again on the same night when they were driving back to her home in Fort Worth.

Crowley told police he became aggressive with her at the hotel. He was called Johnathan in the report.

"Colleen was struck several times by Johnathan, including a strike to the left ear," according to the report from the Fort Worth Police Department.

The quarterback hit her so hard he caused a ruptured eardrum. He also threatened to kill her and himself, she added, according to court papers published in Dallas media.

Once back at her home, Crowley said she ran out of her apartment to a neighbor's home seeking help. Manziel then fled the area on foot, the police report said.

Fort Worth police said they called Manziel's cell phone and used a helicopter to try to find him, before determining he was in no danger.

(Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza; Additional reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin; Editing by Peter Cooney and Andrew Hay)

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