Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott denies domestic violence claims to police: report
Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliot was named a suspect in a domestic violence police report by a woman believed to be his girlfriend, according to TMZ Sports. TMZ reported that it obtained the police report from the incident in which Elliott claims he never hit the woman.
The NFL will look into the matter, Pro Football Talk reports, even though Elliott was not arrested or charged with any crime after being questioned by police.
Although TMZ never mentions the woman’s name in its report, Deadspin displayed Instagram posts from a woman named Tiffany Thompson (whose account is private) showing off bruises on her body that she claims was the result of domestic abuse. On the second of the two posts, she tagged Elliott’s Instagram account (which is not private).
According to the TMZ report, the female accuser filed the report with Columbus (Ohio) Police on Friday morning, stating that Elliott assaulted her while she was sitting in the driver’s seat of her parked vehicle. The photos Thompson displayed on her Instagram post were taken in an automobile.
The TMZ report adds that responding officers indicate the woman had pain in her wrist but declined medical treatment. The police spoke with Elliott, who allegedly claimed he did not hit her. Larry Brown Sports also reports that Elliott told police that Thompson’s injuries were the result of a bar fight she was a part of Thursday night. The police also spoke with four witnesses on the scene, but none — including one who was in the car — said they saw any type of assault.
Elliott’s father, Stacy, also denied the charges via Dallascowboys.com’s Nick Eatman.
Statement from Ezekiel Elliott's father Stacy: “The reported allegations and Internet postings regarding our son are completely false.”
— Nick Eatman (@nickeatman) July 22, 2016
Moreover, WFAA’s Mike Leslie and Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill each reported on Twitter that the Cowboys believe Elliott might have been the victim of a setup.
High-ranking #Cowboys source says that Ezekiel Elliott has messages saved on his phone proving his ex-girlfriend is trying to set him up.
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) July 22, 2016
Per a source, Elliott broke off the relationship and alleged victim said she would ruin him if he did. Thus the accusations
— Clarence Hill (@clarencehilljr) July 22, 2016
Adding yet another bizarre twist to the story, the woman accusing Elliott of domestic violence later filed a second police report, per TMZ, with claims that Elliott has hit her several times over the previous week. Elliott reportedly denied ever hitting her in any serious way to police for this report, too. TMZ reported separately that it heard a 911 call from the alleged victim in which she calmly explains to police that she considered waiting a day to file an additional report.
Shutdown Corner left a message with Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, which has not been returned yet.
Elliott turned 21 on Thursday. The No. 4 overall pick in the draft out of Ohio State, Elliott’s jersey is currently leading the NFL in sales since the Dallas Cowboys selected him with their top choice this April.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!