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Patriots’ Stefon Diggs is facing strangulation, assault charges
Diggs has an arraignment scheduled for Jan. 23.
Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery charges, court documents show.
Diggs’s attorneys filed a motion during a session at Dedham District Court on Tuesday in an attempt to get the police report impounded. Judge Jeanmarie Carroll denied it.
The alleged incident happened on Dec. 2, the day after the Patriots beat the Giants on “Monday Night Football.”
According to multiple reports, Diggs is accused of hitting a private chef during a dispute over payment. She said she was owed a month’s pay. During the dispute, Diggs allegedly entered her unlocked bedroom after a text exchange about the money and “smacked her across the face.” He then “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck” according to court documents.
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One of Diggs’s lawyers, David Meier put out a statement on behalf of Diggs.
“Stefon Diggs categorically denies these allegations. They are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated, and were never instigated – because they did not occur. The timing and motivation for making these allegations are clear: They are the direct result of an employee-employer financial dispute that was not resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. Stefon looks forward to establishing the truth in a court of law.”
Diggs’s arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 23. The AFC championship game is scheduled for Jan. 25. The Patriots are currently the No. 2 seed in the AFC and they will host a home playoff game after Sunday’s regular-season finale against Miami.
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The Patriots released the following statement on Tuesday: “The New England Patriots are aware of the accusations that have been made against Stefon Diggs. Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon. We will continue to gather information and will cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and the NFL as necessary. Out of respect for all parties involved, and given that this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”
The NFL also released a statement saying that it was aware of the situation and has been in contact with the Patriots.
Tuesday’s session was heard remotely in the court house. The Globe reports that Diggs did not appear in court. His lawyers participated remotely.
Diggs, who signed a three-year $69 million deal with the Patriots in the offseason, has 82 catches for 970 yards this season. With one regular-season game remaining, he’s 30 yards away from his seventh 1,000 yard season in eight years.
It’s unclear if he’ll be able to play against the Dolphins this weekend.
This is Diggs’s 11th season in the NFL. He’s 32 and the Patriots are his fourth NFL franchise. Players and coaches alike have praised him for his leadership skills throughout this season. He was a key addition last offseason for a team that went from four wins last season to clinching the AFC East title last weekend.
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This past summer, during the team’s voluntary workout program, a video of Diggs handling an unidentified pink substance during a boat party made headlines. The Patriots handled the incident internally and Diggs was ready to go for Week 1. He has played in all 16 games this season after recovering from offseason ACL surgery. He had six catches for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Jets last Sunday.
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