San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was arrested and booked into the County of Santa Clara jail in February. On Thursday, Foster was charged with felony domestic violence.
49ers linebacker Reuben Foster charged with felony domestic violence
Foster was arrested in February.
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
According to a Santa Clara County press release, Foster is accused of physically attacking his live-in girlfriend, “leaving her bruised and with a ruptured ear drum.”
In addition to the allegation of domestic violence, Foster was also booked for suspicion of possessing an assault rifle and charged with misdemeanor possession of a large capacity weapon magazine. Foster appeared in court Thursday, with teammates Richard Sherman and Jaquiski Tartt in attendance. Niners Nation reported that Foster’s plea date is now set for April 30 and and his bail was set at $75,000.
“The 49ers organization is aware of today’s disturbing charges regarding Reuben Foster. We will continue to follow this serious matter. Reuben is aware that his place in our organization is under great scrutiny and will depend on what is learned through the legal process.”
During the run up to the 2018 NFL Draft, Lynch was asked about Foster again, and clarified that the team would release Foster if the charges are true.
“But I want to be abundantly clear: if these charges are proven true, if Reuben did hit this young lady, he won’t be a part of this organization going forward,” he told assembled media.
At the NFL Combine, general manager John Lynch said that the 49ers are “actively following protocols with both law enforcement and the NFL.”
“With this, we’ve been a little quiet. And that’s for a reason. There’s places I can’t and won’t go,” Lynch said, via Cam Inman and Matt Schneidman of Mercury News.
That was Foster’s second arrest in as many months. The Alabama product was arrested in Tuscaloosa in January for possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor. His bond in that incident was set at $2,500.
The team provided a statement to Jennifer Lee Chan of Niners Nation.
Foster, who just finished his rookie season with the 49ers, found himself in hot water at the NFL Combine last year. His urine sample was diluted, which counts as a positive drug test per the league’s policy on substance abuse. Foster was also involved in an altercation with medical personnel and was sent home early from the combine.
That didn’t scare the 49ers. San Francisco selected Foster with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Once the criminal justice process is complete for Foster, the NFL will launch an investigation into any domestic violence allegations under its personal conduct policy. The league’s process doesn’t require the same burden of proof as the courts, so a six-game suspension — the baseline for a first-time alleged domestic violence offender — may be looming for Foster.
The 49ers cut cornerback Tramaine Brock last year not even one day after he was arrested on allegations of domestic violence. Now we’ll see what they do with Foster.
Update: The woman involved in the incident with Foster has since recanted her claim and says her injuries came after a fight with another woman. Her lawyer says there is video evidence of the altercation.
See More:
