Ex-MLB player Carl Crawford charged with domestic violence

Former Major League Baseball All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford, who played 15 seasons before retiring in 2016, has been arrested in Texas on a felony domestic violence-related charge.

Court documents reported on by TMZ say that Crawford choked his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint. The woman, who recently broke up with Crawford after 2½ years but agreed to meet with him at her Houston apartment on May 8, says that he held a pistol while angrily threatening her.

When she tried to leave, the documents say, Crawford pushed her down. Then, Crawford “held the gun in one hand, and used the other hand to grab her by the head and neck, while asking her how long she had been dating a male acquaintance.” Her 1-year-old daughter then walked over to her, distracting Crawford enough for them to escape.

Crawford allegedly left his gun at the scene, and cops say they found injuries to the woman’s neck and hand when they went to the apartment. Crawford is also accused of sending menacing texts to the woman, including one that says “That wasn’t a beating u just mad I made u confess.”

Crawford surrendered to authorities on Thursday. Through an attorney, he denied the charges.

“He would never hurt a woman,” attorney Rusty Hardin said. "He has no criminal history.”

Crawford’s Houston home was the scene of a tragedy last month, as a 25-year-old woman and a 5-year-old boy drowned in his backyard pool.

“The tragic events that occurred at my home will be with me forever,” he wrote on Instagram. "I’m at a loss for words. I’ve struggled all week to manage my emotions and I keep thinking of the families of those who’ve passed and their grief, I know they have it the hardest. They are the first and last thing I think of these days. Please keep them in your prayers, I know they will always be in mine.”