Johnny Manziel Assault Investigation Update: Police Reportedly Have Surveillance Footage Of Incident
From the archive: published Feb 21, 2016, 10 years ago. Details may have changed since.
Johnny Manziel’s legal fate may rest on the details of surveillance video footage the Dallas police department has obtained from the Hotel ZaZa. According to ESPN , Dallas police held a press conference Saturday stating that they had obtained the footage in regard to an assault investigation involving Manziel and his ex-girlfriend. Police did not elaborate on the details of the video, but stated that the case against Johnny was still under investigation.
According to the NFL, Christine Crowley, Manziel’s ex, stated that Johnny struck her several times in the hotel, and again after taking her to her apartment. Crowley was awarded an order of protection against Manziel in early February, and Johnny was ordered to pay her legal fees. On top of being investigated for the incident by the police, Manziel is also being investigated by the NFL to see if Johnny broke any player conduct rules. This is the latest in a string of personal and legal issues hinging on Manziel’s erratic and questionable behavior.
In 2012, Johnny was charged with disorderly conduct, failure to identify, and providing false identification after getting into a fight. Manziel copped a plea, only admitting guilt to the failure to identify. In 2013, though Manziel faced no legal issues, Johnny was criticized for his off the field behavior including being thrown out of a fraternity party at the University of Texas and possible NCAA violations of collecting money for autographs. The NCAA was unable to verify Manziel had done so.
Following his draft by the Browns, in 2014, Manziel managed to get several members of his team in trouble with the organization after throwing a raucous party during the season. According to ESPN , many questioned whether or not Johnny had the maturity to take his quarterback role seriously. Manziel was also involved in a fight at a local Cleveland hotel. Though Johnny was never charged in the incident, the Browns management expressed concern for Manziel’s behavior.
As if being cut by his team isn’t enough, Manziel also managed to be dropped by his agent, a rare occasion in the arena of professional sports. Shortly after the allegations of the Dallas domestic violence incident arose, Johnny’s agent Erik Burkhardt stated that he could no longer represent Manziel who he felt lacked “accountability” for his actions.
“Though I will remain a friend and Johnny supporter, and he knows I have worked tirelessly to arrange a number of professional options for him to continue to pursue, it has become painfully obvious that his future rests solely in his own hands,” Burkhardt stated of Manziel in a press release according to ESPN .
While Burkhardt may be right to some degree, if the surveillance video obtained by Dallas police shows any chargeable offense by Manziel, Johnny’s future may also rest in the hands of the Dallas legal system.
[Johnny Manziel cover image via Andrew Weber/Getty Images]
