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Peppers, 29, faces charges of assault and
battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class B
substance believed to be cocaine, court documents show. He will
appear in court in Quincy, Massachusetts.
Police in Braintree, Massachusetts, said they were called to a
home for an altercation between two people in October. Peppers
allegedly pushed the woman to the ground, shoved her head into a
wall, and allegedly choked her six times, according to court
documents.
Police said she refused to go to a hospital and was treated at
the home for her injuries.
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.
In an October court appearance, Peppers’ attorney, Marc Brofsky,
said evidence “sheds real doubt on the allegations, including
videotaped evidence.” He said Peppers agreed not to have contact
with the woman.
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 a player 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.
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 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 Peppers’
roster status that allowed him to return to play. His current
contract with the Patriots runs through 2027.
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Associated Press sports writer Kyle Hightower in Wrentham,
Massachusetts, contributed to this report.
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