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Christian Barmore, a star defensive tackle with the New England Patriots, is facing a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault, according to court documents. He’s the second Patriots player to face criminal charges in two days.
The documents were released a day after it was revealed Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing criminal charges following an incident with a personal chef on December 2. Diggs has denied doing anything wrong.
At a news conference, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Barmore was out with an illness and would not practice Wednesday.
Christian Barmore charges
According to documents from Attleboro District Court obtained Wednesday by WBZ-TV, Barmore was charged with one count of assault and battery on a “family/household member,” later identified as a girlfriend, after an incident at their home in Mansfield, Massachusetts on August 8.
The woman had been dating Barmore for more than three years, has a child with him, and was pregnant at the time with their second child, according to the Mansfield Police report. She told an investigator Barmore was upset the morning of August 8 because the air conditioner was set at 70 degrees and he wanted it at 68.
“She tried to avoid Christian for the rest of the day as she knew he was in a bad mood,” the report states. Later, as she was talking to her mother on the phone, Barmore allegedly took the phone away from his girlfriend and ended the call. The woman said she then went to the front door of their home.
“She intended to open the door and scream for help but Christian grabbed her before she could and threw her to the floor,” police wrote. “She tried to get up but Christian had grabbed her by the shirt in the area of her neck.” The woman told officers Barmore eventually let her go. She got her phone back, called a car service allegedly used by the Patriots and got a ride with their child to Delaware.
The woman told police she “had bruises from being thrown to the floor” and took a photo, which was added to the police report. She told investigators she was afraid to go forward with criminal charges at the time because Barmore might allegedly come after her again.
“(She) is worried he may hire someone to harm her and make her life difficult” and that “he can hire anyone” because of the amount of money Barmore has as an NFL player.
On September 9, the woman decided to go ahead with criminal charges, the report said. A criminal complaint was issued on December 16.
Barmore, 26, is scheduled to be arraigned on February 3, 2026.
Patriots statement on Christian Barmore
The New England Patriots issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying they are “aware of reports regarding a pending February arraignment involving Christian Barmore, which stems from an alleged domestic incident that occurred in August.”
“The Patriots were made aware at the time of the incident and informed the NFL in a timely manner. The matter remains part of an ongoing legal process. We will respect that process, continue to monitor the situation closely, as we have over the past few months, and cooperate fully with the league. We will have no further comment at this time,” the team said.
Barmore’s attorney David Meier released a statement Wednesday afternoon.
“We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate that no criminal conduct took place. Based on the facts and the law, we expect that this personal matter will be resolved in the near future and both parties will move forward together,” Meier said.
Meier also represents Diggs in his case in Dedham, Massachusetts.
There has been no comment yet from the NFL.
“I haven’t heard anything that would keep either player from the game,” Vrabel said Wednesday about Barmore and Diggs. “The NFL hasn’t told me anything so I don’t want to waste your time on anything. I haven’t had a call with the NFL.”
Christian Barmore Patriots history
In October 2024, Barmore was involved in an incident with police in Providence, Rhode Island during a traffic stop. He later apologized.
Barmore missed most of the 2024 season because of issues with blood clots.
He has played in all 16 games with the Patriots this season and started all but one. Barmore was benched for the first quarter of the Cleveland Browns game in October for disciplinary reasons, though the reason was never disclosed.
“I just had to make a decision. My job is to protect the team,” Vrabel said at the time. “So when there are actions that I don’t feel like are commensurate with what we want to do here, I’ve got to make a decision. And we move on.”
