Montgomery County/Getty Steven Wright, a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, has been arrested on domestic violence charges.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright was arrested Friday on domestic violence charges after an incident involving his wife at their home in Tennessee.
Wright was arrested December 8 and charged with prevention of a 911 call and assault, domestic related, according to Williamson County records. He was released on $5,000 bail on December 9. Records show he was booked into the local jail at 9:25 p.m. and released at 9:15 a.m.
His arrest was first reported by Rob Bradford of WEEI and Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston.
“On Friday night, Steven was arrested at our home following a verbal argument, and the police charged him with domestic assault,” his attorney, Alex Little, told NBC Sports Boston in a statement. “Although he said things he deeply regrets, he did not raise his hand at anyone during the incident, and the situation was purely emotional. We are working together as a family to make our relationships stronger, and we ask that you respect our privacy as we do so.”
The Red Sox told WEEI in a statement, “We are aware of the incident involving Steven. This is certainly a matter that the Red Sox take very seriously. It is my understanding that both local police and MLB are looking into this and for that reason, the club won’t have any further comment at this time.”
Wright, 33, and his wife, Shannon Wright, live in Franklin, Tennessee, near Nashville. They have two young children, a son and a daughter, together, according to social media posts. The couple celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary in November.
Sources told the Boston Herald that the situation was resolved “amicably” and the Wrights are back home together. He is due in court December 21.
Further details about the incident, including a police report, were not immediately available Sunday night. His arrest will be reviewed by the MLB’s department of investigations under a joint policy with the MLBPA, according to NBC Sports Boston.
Wright, a knuckleballer, has been with the Red Sox since 2013. He missed most of the 2017 season after tearing cartilage in his left knee.
Interfering with a 911 call is a class A misdemeanor in Tennessee, according to state law.
An individual commits an offense if the individual knowingly prevents another individual from placing a telephone call to 911 or from requesting assistance in an emergency from a law enforcement agency, medical facility, or other agency or entity the primary purpose of which is to provide for the safety of individuals.
OR
An individual commits an offense if the individual intentionally renders unusable a telephone that would otherwise be used by another individual to place a telephone call to 911 or to request assistance in an emergency from a law enforcement agency, medical facility, or other agency or entity, the primary purpose of which is to provide for the safety of individuals.
A class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, along with a possible fine of up to $2,500.
Domestic assault is either a class A or class B misdemeanor, depending on the seriousness of the charge. A class B misdemeanor could result in up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $500.
According to CBS Sports, there have been five suspensions under the MLB’s new domestic violence policy. Hector Olivera received 82 games, Jose Reyes was suspended for 51, Aroldis Chapman for 30, Jeurys Familia for 15 and Derek Norris for the remainder of the 2017 season as of September 1. Commissioner Rob Manfred has discretion as to how long to suspend a player for violation of the policy, according to CBS Sports.
Comments
Red Sox Pitcher Steven Wright Arrested on Domestic Assault Charges