Report: Seau Grabbed Girlfriend, Shoved Her Into Wall
Ex-Charger Smelled Of Alcohol When Arrested, Police Report Says
Posted: 10/29/2010
Last Updated:
936 days ago
A police report details the domestic violence arrest of former San Diego Charger Junior Seau.According to the report obtained by TMZ, Mary Nolan, Seau's 25-year-old live-in girlfriend, was "crying hysterically and said she was scared to death" when police arrived at their Oceanside home.Nolan told Oceanside police Seau grabbed her and shoved her into a wall, leaving behind a small bruise on her right arm, the report said.Seau left the residence for a brief period but returned and was arrested without incident. Police said Seau smelled of alcohol and "noticed his eyes were bloodshot and watery," according to the report.Last week, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office announced they would not file criminal charges in the case.Prosecutors made the decision not to bring charges against Seau after reviewing the case presented by the Oceanside Police Department."As with every case we review, we have an ethical duty to file charges only when we believe we can prove them beyond a reasonable doubt," a statement released by the district attorney's office read.Seau's attorney, Mike Kinkelaar, issued the following statement to 10News regarding the decision made by the district attorney's office:
"We agree with the decision made by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office. Junior is very grateful for all the community support he has received, especially during this past week."
"If you took Junior Seau's name off this police report and you submitted it to 10 D.A.'s, probably five would file it and five would not. It's a very close call," said former San Diego County District Attorney Paul Pfingst.Pfingst said based on the report, the case presented problems for prosecutors."The report indicates that the victim had some injuries to her head, but the report does not say what caused those injuries and a prosecutor can't guess," said Pfingst.According to the report, Nolan called police about a previous fight with Seau in Solana Beach but declined to file a report."And she did not tell the police everything. That calls into question statements she makes at a later date," said Pfingst.Five hours after bailing out of jail following his arrest, Seau drove his 2004 Cadillac Escalade off a road, over a 30-foot cliff, and onto Carlsbad State Beach. He was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries.Seau, who was conscious and alert when medics arrived after the crash, told investigating officers he had fallen asleep at the wheel. There was no immediate evidence that he was intoxicated or in a suicidal state of mind, Carlsbad Police Department Lt. Kelly Cain said.While Seau remains a prominent figure in San Diego, Pfingst does not believe his celebrity status had any influence on his case."I don't think looking at these police reports that it's fair to say that Junior Seau got special treatment from the D.A. I think it's fair to say it was a tough call and whatever way it went that's the way it was analyzed," Pfingst said.Seau, a 12-time Pro Bowl player who established a Mission Valley sports bar-restaurant bearing his name 14 years ago, was a standout athlete at the University of Southern California.He played for the Chargers from 1990 to 2002, the Miami Dolphins from 2003 to 2005 and the New England Patriots from 2006 to 2009.