Bengals rookie wide receiver Jermaine Barton is accused of assaulting a 19-year-old woman he was dating and threatening suicide in an incident that was reported to police in late December.
The woman who claimed to have been strangled during the Dec. 30 incident ultimately declined to press charges. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Wednesday..
This is due to the Bengals' decision not to bring any receivers to the final game of the season in Pittsburgh, he was facing eviction From his apartment.
Wednesday's report is the most serious incident, and the police report paints a disturbing picture of the incident that took place in December.
Investigators say a woman called 911 around 8:45 a.m. on Dec. 30 and could hear violent sobbing.
Burton and the woman had been dating on and off since the month before the alleged assault, and met for the first time in September.
According to reports, the couple had gotten into an argument during a night out before the incident, after which Burton chased the woman into his apartment, broke her cellphone, strangled her and then held a knife to her neck. He allegedly confronted her and threatened to commit suicide.
In a 911 call released to the Enquirer, the woman told emergency operators that Barton “just broke into my house” and that “he just broke my cell phone.”
She also claimed that Burton was “quite abusive” and did things that “I cannot tolerate.”
In the phone call, she said Barton was “yelling and screaming” at her in the car, and the two went their separate ways, but Barton went to his home and waited for her. .
“He wouldn't let me in, and he strangled me in the hallway (unintelligible),” she was quoted as saying. “He blocked the door so I couldn't get in, and when I got in he followed me upstairs. He broke into my house. He took my cell phone. I broke it. This is the second time he broke my phone in the past month.
“He broke my phone. He hit me and left.”
The woman suffered minor injuries but did not require medical treatment, and Barton left the scene by the time police arrived.
The anonymous victim initially said he wanted to press charges, but later changed his mind.
The victim called Burton a “narcissist” and a “manipulator” when she described the suicide threat he allegedly made to Barton and said Barton took out a knife and went into the dishwasher to put it against his neck. labeled.
In a statement to the Enquirer, the Bengals said, “We are aware of the information regarding Jermaine Barton. We continue to evaluate as we gather additional details and have no further comment at this time.”
The outlet reported that Burton posted a cryptic message on his Instagram Story on Saturday that read, “*Lies*.” Please stop hitting my cell phone. ”
Burton, a third-round pick out of the University of Alabama, had just four catches for 107 yards on the field for the Bengals this season.
If you live in New York City and are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis, call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. You can. If you live outside the five boroughs, dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or visit the link below. SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
