Getty Former New England Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest
Former New England Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest was charged on February 24 with two felony counts stemming from an incident in December 2022, according to the Boston Globe.
McGinest is charged with assault with a deadly weapon and assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records obtained by the Globe. Each charge carries up to four years in prison, the outlet reported.
McGinest was arrested on December 19 after police say he was involved in an altercation in West Hollywood on December 9, as first reported by TMZ Sports. He was scheduled to be arraigned March 20, the Boston Globe reported.
The linebacker played in 171 games for New England and won three Super Bowls while with New England, per Pro Football Reference.
McGinest previously served as an analyst on Fox Sports and ESPN and most recently the NFL Network, which suspended him following the incident in December 2022, according to Pro Football Talk.
“We are aware of the incident and the video, which is disturbing. Willie McGinest will not appear on NFL Network while we review the matter,” an NFL Network spokesperson told the outlet.
TMZ Published Video It Claims Shows Willie McGinest Punching a Man
TMZ Sports first reported that McGinest had been arrested in Los Angeles on December 19 after turning himself in to police. TMZ also published a video of the incident that the outlet claims shows McGinest “punching the guy in the face and later bashing him in the head with a bottle.”
The incident happened at a lounge called Delilah in West Hollywood, the outlet reported.
According to TMZ, McGinest was briefly jailed but released on $30,000 bond.
The Former New England Patriots Linebacker Apologized
On December 23, 2022, McGinest apologized for the incident and vowed an event like it would never occur again.
“First and foremost, I want to offer my deepest apology for my lapse in judgment and behavior on December 9 at a restaurant in West Hollywood,” he wrote in a statement. “To my family, community, friends, and youth I mentor, please know I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility. To my colleagues at the NFL Network and those I work closely with as an advisor to professional and community-based organizations, please know I am embarrassed and regret what occurred.
“Most of all, I am disappointed in myself, as I know this is an isolated incident and is not reflective of my faith, role as a father, life’s body of work, or the role model I’ve worked hard to become,” McGinest added.
“It is personally devastating that decades of community service, youth engagement, mentoring, and professional development would become an afterthought in a single moment that should have never happened. “This incident has prompted me to deep self-reflection—mind, soul, and spirit. I know that violence is never the answer to such situations, no matter how intense the provocation. Rest assured, I will take whatever steps necessary to restore the public trust, mend damaged relationships, and ensure this never happens again.”