Johnny Manziel indicted in alleged attack on ex-girlfriend
DALLAS-- A Texas grand jury hasindicted ex-Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel on an assault charge after his ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic violence.
The Heisman Trophy winner and former Texas A&M star was indicted Tuesday on a charge of misdemeanor assault related to family violence. The Class A misdemeanor carries up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
Manziel's ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, told Dallas police that Manziel repeatedly hit her and threatened to kill her during a night out on Jan. 30.
Crowley alleged that Manziel accosted her several times at a Dallas hotel and later struck her when they drove back to her apartment in Fort Worth.
In a police report cited by CBSDFW.com, Crowley said she opened the car door and tried to jump out, but Manziel chased her down and pulled her back inside. "Fearful for my life, I hit [Manziel] several times, hoping I could back out of the car," she said in the affidavit, adding Manziel "threw me off of him and I hit my head on the car window and I fell into the passenger floorboard."
She also said in the affidavit that Manziel threatened to kill himself as he drove her back to Fort Worth, about 30 miles west of Dallas, where police were called.
In the wake of the allegations, Manziel's father said the family had made two recent, unsuccessful attempts to get him into a rehab clinic. Manziel, who entered the NFL with a reputation for partying and drinking, spent 73 days last winter in a Pennsylvania treatment center specializing in care for alcohol and drug dependency.
The indictment imperil's Manziel's chances of having a future playing professional football. He was cut by the Cleveland Browns, dropped by two agents this year and no longer has endorsements.