Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Anthony Chickillo was arrested on Sunday and charged with assaulting his girlfriend, Canadian Olympic track star Alysha Newman.
Police arrested Chickillo after an incident at a casino in Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, that occurred early on Sunday morning, Yahoo Sports reported.
Chickillo claimed that Newman punched him in the head, and he responded by shoving her and knocking her to the floor. For her part, Newman insisted that Chickillo grabbed her “by the biceps and forced her against a wall and door of the hotel room.”
Police arrested Chickillo because he had no marks on his head while Newman had bruised on her arms.
Newman, the fifth place-winning pole vaulter at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, also told police that her cellphone was destroyed, and she hid in the bathroom of the hotel room until police officers arrived.
The Steelers released a short statement after the arrest.
“We are aware of an incident involving Anthony Chickillo last night and are still gathering information. Until we have further details, we will not provide any further comments,” Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten said.
Police charged Chickillo with simple assault, criminal mischief, and harassment; he was released on $10,000 bail and will next appear in court on October 30.
Chickillo was a 2015 sixth-round NFL Draft pick by the Steelers, and recently signed a two-year deal with the team. He has 7.5 sacks and nine starts in 57 games during his five years with the Steelers.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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