Bills' Von Miller turns himself in to police on felony domestic violence charge, per reports
Content warning: The following article contains graphic descriptions of alleged domestic violence.
Buffalo Bills pass rusher Von Miller turned himself in to police Thursday on a third-degree felony charge of assaulting a pregnant person, according to WFAA. He was reportedly released from custody after posting a $5,000 bond at the DeSoto Police Department jail.
The Bills and NFL have both released statements confirming they are aware of the incident.
The 34-year-old is accused of assaulting his longtime girlfriend on Wednesday morning at their shared home in Dallas. Miller left the scene before police officers arrived, per ESPN. He is from DeSoto, a nearby suburb. Police contacted his presumed representation in hopes that they will encourage him to turn himself in, according to WFAA.
Details of the alleged incident surfaced via an affidavit obtained by The Dalllas Morning News. Miller, an eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker, is currently on a bye week with the Bills. He and the woman began arguing over travel plans in the main bedroom of their apartment, the affidavit reportedly says. Amid the back and forth, the woman reportedly went into their home office and slammed the door. In response, Miller allegedly followed her and told her to get out. But as she attempted to gather her laptop and phone, he shoved and pushed her, the affidavit reportedly says. "Stop, I'm pregnant," the woman reportedly told Miller.
He allegedly continued to push her and stepped on her feet, which caused her to fall into a chair. Then, he allegedly choked her with one hand for three to five seconds as she continued to reach for her belongings. He grabbed her phone and stomped on the laptop, the affidavit reportedly says. As the woman reached for the laptop, Miller allegedly ripped out a patch of her hair. She reportedly told police she was able to grab her phone, place it in her pocket and record him.
The affidavit reportedly says Miller pushed the woman again, this time into a couch, and allegedly choked her with both hands.
Upon arrival, police reportedly observed "minor abrasions” the woman's left hand. They affidavit also reportedly took note of bruising on her abdomen, left bicep and neck. She reportedly showed police the recording she took during the alleged altercation, proof of a positive pregnancy test and screenshots of her discussions with Miller about the baby.
Von Miller's girlfriend reportedly denies there was an assault
WFAA later obtained the 911 call Miller's girlfriend placed, in which she can be heard saying "My boyfriend is choking and hitting me... I have bruises all over me ... My hair is out." She also reportedly said "I have, like, some blood on me — but not, like… yeah, I don’t know."
In spite of her claim on that call and the abrasions and bruising noticed by police, she downplayed the incident in text messages with WFAA:
"We’re fine," she wrote. "Things were blown way out of context. This is actually outrageous!"
She called the incident "a huge misunderstanding" and described it as "a verbal disagreement."
"No one assaulted anyone," she texted. "This is insane. And sad."
Bills, NFL released statements on Von Miller
Since the Bills are not scheduled to play this weekend, the team has plenty of time to determine Miller’s status.
"This morning, we were made aware of an incident involving Von Miller," the Bills said in a statement. "We are in the process of gathering more information and will have no further comment at this point.”
The NFL issued a statement as well:
"We are aware of the matter and have been in contact with the club," the league said. "We have no further comment at this time."
Miller is in the second year of a six-year, $120 million contract that he signed with Buffalo ($10.7 million of his 2024 compensation is fully guaranteed) after winning the 2021 season Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. The Bills could void the guarantees if he is suspended under the Personal Conduct Policy, according to Pro Football Talk.
He tore his ACL on Thanksgiving Day last season and returned in October. He has accounted for two tackles and a quarterback hit over eight games.
On Tuesday, Bills assistant head coach Eric Washington defended Miller amid his struggles on the field. "[Miller] is working every day under circumstances that none of us could identify with," Washington said.
Miller was investigated for domestic violence in 2021 but never charged. He was playing for the Denver Broncos during the criminal probe, which came after his ex-fiancée, Megan Denise, released screenshots of disturbing messages she allegedly received from Miller.
"I’m honestly praying for a miscarriage,” Miller allegedly wrote to a pregnant Denise. “I hate you! … You gon get yours! Believe that.”
He had previously been announced as the host of Nickelodeon's kid-focused broadcast of a 2020 wild-card game and he was quickly replaced by former football player and television host Nate Burleson. Miller denounced the screenshots as "fake news," and Denise eventually released a statement claiming she was never physically abused.
If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, help is available. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 with free, anonymous help by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), texting “START” to 88788 or online at thehotline.org.
