New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman won’t be charged in a domestic dispute that he was involved in last October, the Broward State Attorney’s office announced on Thursday.
On Oct. 30, Chapman was involved in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. The closeout memo for the state attorney’s office said that Chapman’s girlfriend called 911 saying that Chapman pushed and choked her during a party at his house and that Chapman fired a gun, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
Chapman did fire a gun in the garage eight times, but no one was hurt. Police didn’t make any arrests because of the inconsistencies in what they were being told happened. Moreover, police did not find any marks around Chapman’s girlfriend’s neck, which left physical evidence lacking.
"We are all pleased that the Davie Police Department and the Office of the State Attorney took the time to fully investigate the matter and have concluded that charges were not warranted," Chapman’s lawyer Paul Molle said.
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said that Chapman is “innocent until proved otherwise,” ESPN noted.
Chapman was acquired by the Yankees last month in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds. He was 4-4 with a 1.63 ERA and had 33 saves last year, according to the New York Daily News. After this season Chapman is a free agent, but he is also eligible for salary arbitration with the Yankees. They are currently working on a deal.
MLB is investigating the incident and Chapman could be disciplined under the league’s new domestic violence policy.