Former Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel Is Indicted On Assault Charge

By Lauren Hodges / NPR

Published April 26, 2016 at 10:03 AM PDT

This story was published more than 8 years ago.

Johnny Manziel and his then-girlfriend Colleen Crowley at a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, on April 14, 2015.

Former Texas A&M; and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, 23, has been indicted by a Dallas County grand jury on a misdemeanor assault charge.

Manziel's ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley has accused him of hitting her and rupturing her eardrum in January.

The Dallas Morning News describes what happened:

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"Manziel is accused of abusing Crowley in a fight over another woman Jan. 29 at Hotel ZaZa in Uptown. Crowley and Manziel broke up in December after dating for two years and living together in Cleveland. She said she saw him that night in January when he invited her to his hotel room to talk."Crowley, also 23, told police that Manziel slapped her on the head and ruptured her left eardrum, causing her to lose her hearing. "She said Manziel hit her, dragged her by the hair, forced her into a car and drove her to Fort Worth, where she lives."

Manziel's lawyers say he will plead not guilty to the misdemeanor domestic violence charge, which carries a penalty of up to a year in prison and a $4,000 fine, NPR's Wade Goodwyn reports.

"Attorney Robert Hinton, who is representing Manziel, has told The Associated Press that both sides will meet with a judge to set a bond, and Manziel will be booked, most likely for a brief time," the news service reported.

Another Manziel attorney, Jim Darnell, issued a statement Tuesday:

"We certainly respect the decision of the grand jury but of course they only hear part of the case: What the D.A. chooses to share with them. We don't know what that was. This case will now be assigned to a court in Dallas County where the parties are able to join the issue. Johnny will certainly plead 'not guilty' and we believe the evidence will support that plea. Out of respect for Ms. Crowley, we will not try the case in the press. We do, however, believe that Johnny will be acquitted at the conclusion of the case."

Manziel, who won the Heisman Trophy at Texas A&M; University in 2012, is currently a free agent, having been dropped by the Browns in March. He's also been dropped by two agents and lost all of his professional endorsements. His career has been marked by reports of substance abuse and time at a rehab facility.