The San Francisco 49ers formidable defense may be taking a hit, as linebacker Ahmad Brooks may face assault charges stemming from a June 8th incident in which he reportedly attacked a teammate.
According to reports, Brooks is accused of hitting teammate Lamar Divens three times in the head with a beer bottle, and then punching him in the face. The violence erupted after the two supposedly had an argument over car keys, according to court documents. Sources say after a night of drinking, Brooks was too intoxicated to drive home, so Divens was refusing to give him the keys to his car, and pretended to throw them on the grass. An enraged Brooks then hit him with the bottle, and reportedly said "Do I need to get my [expletive] gun?"
Divens' injuries required three stitches and left him bleeding, the documents state.
Two other 49ers team members are alleged to have witnessed the attack, and Divens originally planned to press charges against Brooks, although his stance has softened. Three days after the incident, Divens called a San Jose sergeant and said he didn't want to move forward. "He said this would be bad for both of their careers and that he just wanted to keep playing and that they had resolved it," the sergeant said.
The charges, if pursued by District Attorney Jeff Rosen, could severely impact both Brooks, who signed a six-year, $44.5 million extension last season, as well as the 49ers who are relying on him to help complete arguably the best linebacker corps in the NFL.
Brooks has previously been involved in violent crime off the field, in 2008 as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. He was accused of punching a woman in the face, and agreed to submit to mediation in the matter. In 2005, Brooks was kicked off the University of Virginia football team for "off the field" matters, and in 2003 he was charged with possession of marijuana, but it was dismissed after he completed his probation terms.
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