New York Yankees Roster Rumors: Aroldis Chapman Won't Face Charges from Domestic Dispute
Aroldis Chapman was caught in a domestic dispute issue involving his girlfriend in October. The newly signed Yankees reliever was accused of firing shots during the incident in his home in Florida, prompting an investigation from the state attorney.
But the Broward County Assistant State Attorney released a close-out memo last Wednesday stating that the lack of evidence, as well as the conflicting accounts of the parties involved, was reason enough not to file charges. According to ASA Stefanie Newman, a conviction will be unlikely if they forced the charges to be filed. Interestingly, the police department of Davie, Florida also closed the cased weeks after the incident.
Chapman, represented by his lawyer, Paul Molle, is reportedly very happy with the decision, and the fact that the police and the Office of the State Attorney spent some time to make a complete investigation was beneficial to prove his innocence.
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In the police report filed after the incident, 22-year-old Cristina Barnea alleged that Chapman pushed her and placed his hands around her neck, eventually attempting to choke here. However, Chapman responded by saying that there in fact was an argument, but he didn't push Barnea; instead, it was her brother that pushed him. He actually admitted to firing a gun, which was his own, while aiming at the wall and window in his garage.
Chapman and the MLB benefited from this decision because if chargers were filed, the league should have been necessitated to suspend him. But he's still not completely out of it because the league might still impose a shorter suspension.
Chapman was traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Yankees last month, but the highly touted player's value might significantly drop because of the incident. History tells us that whenever players are involved in domestic disputes and other off-field incidents that reach the police, their value and reputation as a pro are greatly affected.
