Patriots’ Christian Barmore facing assault and battery charge

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

The charge stems from an alleged incident that occurred on Aug. 8 and was filed on Dec. 16, according to Attleboro, Mass. District Court. An arraignment is scheduled for February 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 ongoing legal proceedings,” the team said. “We will respect this 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 a relationship with Barmore claimed he became angry with her over the temperature of the air conditioning in her bedroom and that they also argued over food. The woman told police that Barmore took her phone from her hand as she tried to leave the house, according to court documents.

Charging documents said the woman “intended to open the door and scream for help, but Christian grabbed her before she could and threw her to the ground.” She said Barmore grabbed her by the shirt “around 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 will culminate with Super Bowl LX on February 8.

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

The accusation against Barmore comes a day after Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs was convicted of strangulation and misdemeanor assault charges following an alleged Dec. 2 incident.

In a statement regarding the accusations against Diggs, the Patriots said Tuesday: “Stefon has informed the organization that he categorically denies the allegations. We support Stefon.”

Diggs and Barmore are represented by attorney David Meier, who has not commented on the accusation against the defensive tackle.

Barmore, a 2021 second-round pick out of Alabama, has played in all 16 games this season with 15 starts. He is third on the team with 10 quarterback hits and has totaled 26 tackles and one sack.