Former Seahawks kicker Josh Brown speaks out for first time since domestic abuse allegations
Feb 2, 2017, 8:37 AM
Though former Seahawks placekicker Josh Brown holds himself “fully accountable” for what he did during his marriage, he says he never hit his wife.
Brown spoke out for the first time since the release of documents last year that showed he admitted to abusing his wife during an interview with ABC News. The 37-year-old was asked what he meant in a journal entry he wrote that said he had “physically, verbally and emotionally abused his wife.”
“I mean I had put my hands on her,” he told ABC. “I kicked the chair. I held her down. The holding down was the worst moment in our marriage. I never hit her. I never slapped her. I never choked her. I never did those types of things.”
Related: Seattle police officer fired for punching woman tells his side of the story
Brown was arrested for fourth-degree assault in May 2015, but the charges were dropped within days.
The King County Sheriff’s Department released journals and emails last year showing Brown admitted to verbally and physically abusing his ex-wife.
The NFL was blasted for initially only giving Brown a one-game suspension — during Week 1 of the 2016 season — over the incident when it promised to do more to fight domestic violence. However, after appearing in five games for the New York Giants, Brown was put on the commissioner’s exempt list in October when the NFL obtained the documents from the sheriff’s office.
The NFL criticized the King County Sheriff’s Office for its handling of the case. In a press release, the league claimed it tried repeatedly to get information about domestic violence allegations against Brown but that the Sheriff’s Office denied them.
Sheriff John Urquhart fired back.
“I don’t like to get pushed around by a bully,” Urquhart told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson.
On Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL’s investigation into the allegations against Brown continues.
Brown, a free agent, is hopeful that he will be able to play in the NFL again.
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