NFL star Aaron Donald to be charged with assault; man shares photos of swollen face

“It was definitely unprovoked," a lawyer for the alleged victim said.

Aaron Donald is making headlines but it isn’t for his performance on the field.

The Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle, 29, is being accused of beating a man so badly that he had to undergo 16 stitches and was left with his arm in a sling. The man filed charges on Wednesday, per KDKA.

Aaron Donald thegrio.com
Defensive end Aaron Donald (Credit: Getty Images)

De Vincent Spriggs says he was assaulted by Donald in an after-hours club around 3-4 a.m. in Pittsburgh on the city’s South Side between April 10-11. He was taken to a local hospital and asked that the police complete an investigation.

Spriggs and his attorney Todd Hollis filed charges against the Pittsburgh native at the Arlington Pittsburgh Police Zone 3 station. 

Read More: Ex-NFL player Phillip Adams accused of killing 5 before shooting himself: report

When reporters asked if the attack was unprovoked, Hollis spoke for his client:

“It was definitely unprovoked. I’ve instructed him not to make any comments, but, as you can see from his arm in a sling, his eye is closed, 16 stitches in his eye and a concussion and other severe injuries he’s suffered, this is a severe incident.”

Donald has yet to speak on the charges.

Another NFLer is also in trouble with the law. Travis Rudolph was recently charged with murder, as per theGrio. Rudolph, who had a short career in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins, has been arrested on charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. 

The shooting took place in early April in Lake Park, Florida, where sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene to find one man being transported to the hospital and another dead. 

In a statement, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office said four individuals were “shot at or by” Rudolph, 25.

He is being held with no bond and is expected to appear in court today. 

After his short stint in the NFL, Rudolph played with the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was still playing with the team, at the time of his arrest, but they subsequently released him. 

Darren Cameron, the team’s senior director of public and player relations, also noted on Twitter “The organization was made aware of Travis Rudolph’s arrest this morning and he has subsequently been released. Rudolph was signed in December of 2019 and did not play in a game for the Blue Bombers.”

Read More: Ex-NFL player Phillip Adams accused of killing 5 before shooting himself: report

Sports anchor Paxton Boyd reminded his Twitter followers of Rudolph eating lunch with an autistic boy, who had been sitting alone in a school cafeteria. 

One user replied, “People are complicated man…damn.” 

ESPN’s David Hale echoed the sentiment, writing, “I hate hate HATE that we can never really know the guys we’re writing about. Have thought this a lot w/the Deshaun stories. But man, how Travis Rudolph went from being a hero to a boy w/autism to held without bond on 4 counts of premeditated murder is just… there are no words.”

Additional reporting by Biba Adams

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