A jury in Boston cleared New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers of assault and battery charges on Friday.
Peppers finished his testimony earlier in the day by denying the accusations that he choked or shoved the woman who accused him. The trial took place this week, with Peppers facing charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
The woman who accused Peppers testified that he grabbed her by the neck, slammed her against the wall, and pushed her down the stairs after a man repeatedly called her cellphone while they were in bed.
Peppers said during his testimony that he believed the woman was trying to ruin his career, as he told police, according to The Boston Globe.
In addition to the woman’s testimony, prosecutors showed several videos of the incident. In the footage, Peppers can be seen asking the woman, who was naked, to leave his house in Braintree, Massachusetts. The woman claimed Peppers filmed her and mocked her as she tried to leave and collect her things after the alleged assault.
The police report from the October incident supported the woman’s claims. Authorities said she refused to go to the hospital and was treated for her injuries at the house.
During her testimony, the woman described being grabbed by the neck and slammed against the wall. She said her feet were not touching the floor and that Peppers was holding her up.
In his cross-examination, Peppers’ lawyer, Marc Brofsky, questioned the woman’s version of events and the severity of her injuries. He also pointed out the $9.5 million civil lawsuit the woman filed against Peppers, claiming she was seeking money.
Peppers was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list on October 9, after the incident, and missed seven games.
The Patriots had signed Peppers to a contract extension over the summer. Peppers, now in his third season with New England, was first drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2017, then spent three seasons with the New York Giants. His current contract with the Patriots runs through 2027.
