John Bowlen To Police: 'This Is The Owner Of The Denver Broncos' Before Arrest
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4)- One of Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen's sons has been arrested and charged with harassment after an alleged act of domestic violence with a woman who told police they were dating him.
John Michael Bowlen was set to be released from Arapahoe County Jail on Thursday evening on bond.
Bowlen, 29, appeared before a judge at 2 p.m. Thursday. He has been charged with one count of harassment and one count of obstruction of telephone service, both charges as an act of domestic violence.
Police in Glendale responded to a residence at 4550 Cherry Creek Driver South about 10:13 p.m. Wednesday after a 911 hang-up call. Upon re-contacting the phone number, dispatch heard a female screaming in the background and male saying that "nothing is wrong."
According to court documents, when officers arrived, they heard a male yelling and a female crying from the hallway while standing outside the apartment door. Officers knocked on the door and the male, identified as Bowlen, opened the door and immediately stated, "I didn't do anything wrong! I didn't do anything and I'm going to call 'Harvey.'"
Bowlen then contacted a male via telephone whom he stated was his lawyer. Officers entered the apartment when they heard the female crying behind a closed bathroom door. The woman came out of the bathroom and appeared to be upset.
Officers said the woman had red, watery eyes from crying and she appeared to be afraid. She told police that Bowlen became enraged when she mentioned contacting "help" for Bowlen when he made comments to kill someone he had prior conflict with.
In the arrest affidavit, the woman also told police that Bowlen was under the influence of "whippets" and alcohol.
The woman also told officers she told Bowlen she was going to call 911 because of his behavior and she went into the bathroom to call. Bowlen then ran into the bathroom and forcefully grabbed her shoulders and shoved her against a wall which caused her to drop her cellphone.
The 911 call was disconnected but when dispatch called back, Bowlen immediately answered the phone and said, "This is the owner of the Denver Broncos. I am sorry, K. Nothing is wrong. This is John Bowlen, Johnny Bowlen."
The documents also state Bowlen used and manipulated the woman's cellphone which interfered with her calling for help.
The woman told police she feared for her safety and was in shock, but that she didn't feel any pain from being shoved against the wall.
She also told police she was in an intimate relationship with Bowlen and they had been dating for about 10 months. She also told them there had been previous incidents of verbal abuse from Bowlen.
Bowlen was granted a personal recognizance bond with supervision. Monitored sobriety is a condition of his bond.
The Denver Broncos released this statement: "We are disappointed to learn of the matter involving John Bowlen, who is a son of Owner Pat Bowlen and an administrative employee with the organization. While this is a personal issue, he is accountable to all club and league conduct policies. As such, John will be placed on an indefinite leave of absence from the organization."
The next hearing for Bowlen is July 6 at 1:30 p.m. in the Arapahoe County Justice Center.
Pat Bowlen stepped down from his daily duties in the Broncos organization last summer as he battled Alzheimer's. His son, John Bowlen, is among the Bowlen children who may replace their father as team owner.
