Aroldis Chapman Choked Girlfriend, Later Fired Gunshots in Domestic Incident

The Dodgers reportedly agreed to trade for Reds closer Aroldis Chapman today. This evening, Yahoo reporters Tim Brown and Jeff Passan published a police report which alleged that Chapman “fired eight gunshots in the garage of his Miami-area home following an October argument with his girlfriend in which she told police he ‘choked’ her and pushed her against a wall.”

Yahoo continues:

" No arrests were made after the incident, in which more than a dozen police officers were dispatched to Chapman’s home in Davie, Fla., around 11 p.m. on Oct. 30. Chapman’s girlfriend exited the house and hid in bushes following the argument that stemmed from something she found on Chapman’s cellphone, according to the police report. […] Police did not observe “injuries or even redness anywhere on her neck or chest,” the report said. Chapman’s girlfriend told police her brother “came into the theater and separated them,” the report said. Chapman’s girlfriend told police she “ran outside because she was scared for her and her daughter,” according to the report. Her daughter was 4 months old, according to the report. While it is unclear whether the child is Chapman’s, he told police after a previous incident that they “had a child in common,” according to a police report. "

Chapman’s attorney “vehemently den[ies] the allegations as stated” and declined further comment. Chapman allegedly admitted to firing the gunshots, most of which landed in the concrete in the garage while one went through a window. The pitcher reportedly “told police he used his index and middle fingers and ‘poked his girlfriend on the left shoulder and told her not to talk to him like that,’ according to the report,” but that the couple was separated by friends and family to avoid a fight. Chapman’s driver had a different account, reportedly telling police that Chapman’s girlfriend charged and “tackled” the pitcher, before later declining to communicate again.

Four days after the incident, an assistant state attorney said that there was “insufficient evidence” to charge Chapman with simple battery because there were no physical injuries and there were conflicting accounts. There is a lot to unpack, so it’s advisable to head to Yahoo to read the whole thing.

Chapman will be investigated under the new MLB domestic violence policy, and it’s unclear as of this time whether the trade to Los Angeles will still go through.