Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer head-butted his wife and broke her nose after she bit his lip to stop his sexual advances, and he punched her in the face the next day, according to a police report made public Thursday.
Dwyer later threatened to kill himself in front of their 17-month-old son if the wife alerted the police, according to the report, which detailed the latest domestic violence allegations against an NFL player. Dwyer was arrested Wednesday and benched by the team.
The police report describes two altercations between Dwyer and his wife, on July 21 and 22. In the first, Dwyer tried to kiss her and take off her clothes, according to the report. She told him to stop and bit his lip when he wouldn’t, the report said. Dwyer then head-butted her, it said. Police were called to the home by someone who heard arguing. When they got there, the report said:
UPON OFFICERS ARRIVAL VICTIM REPORTED SHE WAS ENGAGED IN A VERBAL ARGUMENT OVER THE TELEPHONE WITH A FAMILY MEMBER. SHE ADVISED SHE AND HER SON WERE THE ONLY OCCUPANTS IN THE RESIDENCE. AFTER THE OFFICERS LEFT THE VICTIM FLED WITH THEIR SON. SHE LATER RETURNED AFTER THE DEFENDANT TEXT HER A PICTURE OF A KNIFE AND STATED HE DID NOT WANT TO LIVE ANYMORE. IT WAS LATER LEARNED BY INVESTIGATORS THE DEFENDANT WAS HIDING INSIDE THE RESIDENCE WHEN OFFICERS RESPONDED ON THE INITIAL CALL. SHE SAID HE HAD THREATENED TO KILL HIMSELF IN FRONT OF HER AND THEIR CHILD IF SHE ALERTED THE POLICE TO THE ASSAULT, SO SHE DENIED TO THE OFFICERS THAT HE WAS PRESENT AND THAT SHE HAD BEEN ASSAULTED.
In the second altercation, Dwyer punched his wife on the side of the face, punched the wall and threw a shoe, striking the son in the stomach, according to the report.
The wife called police after she fled the state and felt safe, according to the report.
Dwyer made a brief appearance in court in Phoenix on Thursday. He was released on bond and ordered to submit to electronic monitoring.
The team announced that it had placed him on what’s known as the reserve/non-football-illness list, which gives them the option not to pay him. Other players, including Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings, are still being paid after allegations of abuse have surfaced.
