The former New York Giants face Chad Wheeler, who pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that he strangled his girlfriend at his Washington state home.
Wheeler, 27, who most recently played for the Seattle Seahawks, was indicted at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Washington State on charges of first-degree domestic assault, domestic violence, illegal arrest and resistance to arrest, ESPN reported Monday. market.
Wheeler’s appeal came just days after he announced that he was moving away from the game after his arrest for allegedly smothering the woman – who appeared in court with her left arm in a sling, the network said.
The 1.90m tall rugged football player will remain free until a hearing on February 11, but was ordered to use a GPS-equipped ankle monitoring device, remain in confinement at home and stay away from the woman.
Wheeler, who threw his ball at college at USC, was arrested on January 23 for allegedly smothering his girlfriend until she was knocked unconscious during what they both described as a violent “manic episode”.
When the woman regained consciousness, she told police that Wheeler expressed surprise that she was still alive, according to records obtained by ESPN.
Records show that when the police raided the apartment they shared, the woman’s face was covered in blood, her left arm was swollen – and she had fingerprints on both sides of the neck, the documents show.
The alleged victim told officers that the two had been dating for about six months, and said that Wheeler has bipolar disorder and was not taking his drugs, the agency said.
“It’s time for me to leave football and get the help I need to never again pose a threat to someone else.” Wheeler posted on Twitter after the arrest. “I can’t express my sadness or remorse enough. I’m really ashamed. “
Despite the excuses of Wheeler, his former roommate at the University of Southern California, the Pittsburgh Steeler offensive attack Zach Banner, tweeted last week that he would never forgive him for the alleged attack.
Wheeler played for Giants football from 2017 to 2019 before signing with the Seahawks as a practical player on the team.
He was cut by the team on January 28 after his arrest.