Packers running back Josh Jacobs charged with misdemeanors after injuring girlfriend in domestic dispute, complaint says

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs avoided felony charges in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend in which he threw her to the ground following an argument over whether Jacobs was cheating, causing her to strike her head, according to court records.

The incident took place May 23 around 8:30 a.m. at Jacobs’ residence in the village of Hobart near Green Bay following a 911 call where the caller left the line open and yelling and swearing could be heard in the background, according to a criminal complaint filed Aug. 27. 

Jacobs has been charged with two misdemeanors — battery and criminal damage to property. 

When officers arrived, they made contact with an adult man, who was only identified in the complaint by the initials JLC, who said he lived at the residence, the complaint said. JLC told police he was not aware of a physical altercation between Jacobs and his girlfriend and that Jacobs recently left the home in his vehicle, according to the complaint.

Jacobs’ girlfriend left the home on foot and was later found at a neighbor’s house, the complaint said. She told police she had a lump on her head as a result of Jacobs’ actions, according to the complaint. 

She said she had been looking through Jacobs’ phone and saw he was talking to other women and so she threw the phone. Jacobs then took his girlfriend’s phone, but told her to call for a car to bring her home to Chicago, so when she tried to retrieve the phone from Jacobs he instead grabbed her arm and began a physical struggle for several minutes, according to the complaint. 

Jacobs refused to turn over the phone and his girlfriend chased him in a separate vehicle as he drove around the area for a time before returning to the home, the complaint states. 

Upon arrival, Jacobs’ girlfriend said she was going to call police and retrieved a second phone while Jacobs followed her around, according to the complaint. As she attempted to exit through the garage door, Jacobs grabbed his girlfriend and threw her to the ground, injuring her head, the complaint said. 

Meanwhile, the girlfriend confronted JLC, the other adult in the home, asking why he wasn’t doing anything and JLC said he couldn’t help her, according to the complaint, but she eventually was able to make a successful 911 call. 

An officer observed redness on the woman’s face and neck and was able to feel a bump on the back of her head. Jacobs never returned the primary phone, the complaint said. 

The complaint states there is security footage of the incident, which has not been released.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters Aug. 26 that they were preparing for a suspension of Jacobs by the NFL. The season opener is on Sep. 13 in Minnesota. 

“We are aware of the charges brought against Josh Jacobs,” the Packers said in a statement. “We will continue to cooperate with the NFL as we work through the process. We will have no further comment at this time.”