49ers' Foster faces three felony charges

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was charged with three felonies in relation to a February arrest, according to a news release from the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.

Foster, who turned 24 last week, was arrested in February on suspicion of domestic violence and possession of an assault rifle after police were called for an alleged domestic violence incident at a residence in Los Gatos, Calif.

"Our focus is on holding accountable those who hurt their intimate partners," Deputy District Attorney Kevin Smith said in a statement, per The Mercury News. "Our office handles between four and five thousand domestic violence cases each year. We only hope that this case illuminates the tragic regularity of the rest."

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Prosecutors say that Foster "dragged (his live-in girlfriend) by her hair, physically threw her out of the house, and punched her in the head 8 to 10 times" and that she suffered a ruptured eardrum in the attack.

Foster was also charged with possession of an assault weapon, a felony, and possession of a high-capacity magazine, a misdemeanor.

Foster, who has been out on $75,000 bail, faces up to 11 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

It was the second time Foster has been arrested since the NFL regular season ended. He also was arrested in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Jan. 12 and charged with second-degree marijuana possession. Foster was a college star at Alabama, which is located in Tuscaloosa.

Prior to the 2017 NFL Draft, Foster's character was called into question due to a couple of incidents at the NFL Scouting Combine. He failed a drug test because he submitted a diluted sample and also was dismissed from the combine due to an altercation with a hospital employee.

Foster, who was expected to be a top-10 pick, slid down the draft boards of teams until San Francisco landed him with the 31st pick. He had 72 tackles last season despite being limited to 10 games due to injuries.

--Field Level Media