COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Ohio State and NFL linebacker Darron Lee is facing domestic violence charges in two separate incidents from this week and late last year.
According to Franklin County Municipal Court records, the 28-year-old is charged with two counts of domestic violence and two counts of assault.
On Monday, Dublin police were called to a residence on Kendall Ridge Loop on a domestic violence call after Lee reportedly punched the female victim multiple times in the head during an argument.
Lee initially told police the victim showed up at the residence uninvited and punched him in the face first, but he later recanted that statement, according to court records.
Another woman in the residence, who originally called police, said she was downstairs when she heard the victim yelling at the top of the stairs. When she went upstairs, she saw the victim lying on her back with Lee over her with a raised fist.
The victim spoke with police at the hospital where she stated she had gone to the home after the other woman called her to say she didn’t feel safe with Lee there.
After telling him to leave, the victim said Lee grabbed her shirt and pushed her into the wall two times before being thrown to the ground. She said she was hit eight to nine times in the head with a closed fist.
While investigating this incident, police learned of a separate incident from Oct. 17, 2022 involving the other woman.
Court records state the woman told authorities the two had an argument where Lee had accused her of cheating on him.
While lying on a bed, the woman said Lee got on top of her and placed his hand on her neck. She said he threatened to kill her and squeezed her throat when she said she couldn’t breathe for approximately three seconds.
Lee then got up, grabbed her phone and threw it in her direction. The phone struck the wall, bounced off and hit her in the side of the head. Lee then allegedly threw a remote control toward her.
According to court records, the woman went downstairs where Lee followed her. He’s then accused of picking her up by the neck, swinging her around and dropping her onto the ground.
Lee said there was an altercation, but the woman struck him in the face multiple times and denied he threw anything at her or put his hands on her neck.
Court records state police reportedly viewed photos of the woman’s injuries taken that night as well as photographs of a hole in the wall and a broken phone.
Lee was a two-year starter at Ohio State and was a member of the 2014 national championship team.
He was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
After three seasons, he went on to play for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and Buffalo Bills in 2020.
He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in June 2021 but was released by the team two months later.