Patriots' Christian Barmore facing assault and battery charge - ESPN

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore is facing a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery on a household/family member, according to court documents.

The charge stems from an alleged incident on Aug. 8 and was filed Dec. 16, according to the Attleboro (Massachusetts) District Court. An arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 3.

In a statement Wednesday, the Patriots said they «were made aware at the time of the incident and informed the NFL in a timely manner.»

«The matter remains part of an ongoing legal process,» the team said. «We will respect that process, continue to monitor the situation closely, as we have over the past few months, and cooperate fully with the league.»

According to charging documents obtained by ABC, a woman who had been in a relationship with Barmore alleged that he became angry with her about the air conditioning temperature in his bedroom and that they also had argued over food. The woman told police that Barmore grabbed her phone from her hands while she was trying to leave the house, according to court documents.

The charging documents stated that the woman «intended to open the door and scream for help but Christian grabbed her before she could and threw her to the floor.» She said Barmore grabbed her by the shirt «in the area of the neck» as she tried to get up but eventually let her go.

Barmore, 26, is in his fifth year with the Patriots, who conclude their regular season Sunday at home against the Miami Dolphins. New England has already qualified for the playoffs, which culminate with Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel told reporters that Barmore was not with the team Wednesday due to an illness.

The charge against Barmore comes one day