ESPN Writer Howard Bryant Charged with Domestic Assault

ESPN writer Howard Bryant was arrested was arrested for assaulting his estranged wife and striking a police officer, the Huffington Post reports.

His lawyer has promptly played the race card.

"If Howard Bryant was Caucasian and was on the streets having exactly the same conversation with his wife -- nobody would have even noticed," Buzz Eisenberg, Howard Bryant's lawyer told the Boston Herald.

"Race still plays a part in our society and we intend to contest these allegations completely," Eisenberg said. "The 6-year-old had to witness his father being thrown on a hood of a car and being abused."

Initially, Bryant and his agent refused to comment, but then changed their tunes. 

"I am sad today because this attack on me by the Massachusetts State Police and the Buckland Police has made it necessary for me to defend untrue allegations and repair my reputation. ... The police chose aggression first over dialogue, threatened to Taser me whenever I tried to speak, and all in front of my 6-year-old son," Bryant said.

David Procopio, spokesperson for the state police said the attorney's race claims were "wrong" and an insult to domestic violence victims.

Howard Bryant is black and his wife, Veronica, is white. State police said she refused medical attention and declined to cooperate with the police. Yet five witnesses told police they saw a man arguing with a woman, choked her and pushed her into a car.

Witnesses said that as police drove up, Bryant released her.

Trooper T.J. Tudryn said Bryant was uncooperative and resistant. "He pulled away from the police officers when they were trying to handcuff him," Tudryn said. He also noted that it took 4 officers at least three minutes to subdue him.

Bryant was charged with "domestic assault and battery, assault and battery on a police officer and resisting arrest." The judge released him on his own recognizance after he pled not guilty to all charges. His wife was in court with him.

"She was there to say this was a miscarriage of justice," Eisenberg said. "She's very frustrated by the whole thing and angry at the police."

Officials for ESPN said it was too soon to comment on the arrest. "We are gathering information about it," spokesman Josh Krulewitz said.

Related Resources:

• Howard Bryant, writer for ESPN, charged with domestic assault in Buckland
  Bryant (Masslive.com)
• Domestic Violence (Findlaw.com)
• Evidence and Witnesses (Findlaw.com)