Packers' Josh Jacobs now criminally charged in May incident
Packers RB Josh Jacobs charged, explaining the charges
Packers running back Josh Jacobs is formally charged, stemming from his arrest back in May. FOX6 breaks down the charges and why they are different from the charges he was arrested on.
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs is now charged with two misdemeanors related to a May incident that led to his arrest.
Charges filed
In court:
The Brown County District Attorney's Office charged Jacobs, 28, with misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal damage to property. He's scheduled to make his initial appearance in court on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
Charges filed against Packers RB Josh Jacobs
FOX6 News has learned the Brown County District Attorney's Office filed criminal charges against Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs in connection to his May arrest. FOX6's Sam Kraemer has the latest.
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The district attorney's office said it sought to ensure a "fair and complete review of available evidence," some of which "only recently became available" due to ongoing forensic efforts.
Josh Jacobs participates in drills during the Green Bay Packers mandatory minicamp at Don Hutson Center on June 9. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
What they're saying:
In a statement, Jacobs' attorneys David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld and Clarence Duchac wrote:
"The Brown County District Attorney has reviewed evidence and elected to file misdemeanor charges against Josh that do not include domestic violence. The allegations will be addressed in court, and not in the media. Mr. Jacobs respects the District Attorney's office and the process it followed."
Josh Jacobs arrested
The backstory:
Hobart/Lawrence police arrested Jacobs after he turned himself in on May 26. He was released from the Brown County Jail a day later without charges; the district attorney's office said prosecutors needed more evidence before deciding whether to file charges.
According to a news release police shared on the incident, they responded to a disturbance involving Jacobs on May 23. Police listed the charges they arrested him on, which included felony strangulation, battery – domestic abuse, criminal damage to property – domestic abuse, disorderly conduct – domestic abuse, and intimidation of a victim.
FOX6 News listened to dispatch audio of the incident, in which a dispatcher can be heard saying, "I can hear yelling and screaming, and things being thrown. It's plotting to this location. I have an open line. Possible male-female."
Criminal investigation, surveillance
Dig deeper:
A criminal complaint said police went to Jacobs' home in Hobart shortly after 8:30 a.m. Another resident answered the door and said he was unaware of any altercation between Jacobs and his girlfriend, and that he saw both of them leave the home.
Officers found the girlfriend at a neighbor's house, and court filings said she told police she "had a lump on her head" from Jacobs. She said he looked through Jacobs' phone and saw he was "talking to other girls," so she threw the phone. Jacobs had her phone, she said, and when she tried to get it back, they got into a "physical struggle" for several minutes.
The victim said they left the home, and Jacobs drove away with her phone, according to the complaint. She said she took one of Jacobs' other vehicles and followed him to try to get her phone back. They eventually returned to the home, where an argument continued.
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Court filings said the victim then grabbed her second phone, and Jacobs called her a "derogatory name." She left the house through the garage door to try to call police, when she said Jacobs followed her, "grabbed her and threw her to the ground and she struck her head." Jacobs then took her second phone.
A digital forensic examination report of Jacobs' home surveillance system was completed in mid-August. Court filings said the video "corroborates the relevant portions" of the victim's statements. It showed Jacobs and the victim driving away before coming back, as well what took place in the garage. It also showed Jacobs took and damaged the victim's phone. The surveillance system did not capture anything that happened inside the home.
The complaint said police noted redness to the victim's face and neck and could feel the bump on the back of her head. She said Jacobs never returned her primary phone, and her second phone was damaged during the incident.
Is Josh Jacobs suspended?
What they're saying:
On Wednesday, Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst addressed the football side of Jacobs' legal situation – telling reporters the team is prepared for the NFL to suspend Jacobs over the incident.
The NFL has not yet disciplined Jacobs over this incident, and the 28-year-old has participated in a mix of preseason practices while dealing with a groin injury.
Josh Jacobs career
By the numbers:
The Raiders selected Jacobs in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he played his first five NFL seasons there before signing with the Packers as a free agent in 2024.
Jacobs started all 17 games in his first season in Green Bay, amassing 1,329 rushing yards and a career-best 15 touchdowns in a Pro Bowl season. He tallied 929 yards and 13 touchdowns over 15 games last season.
Editor's note: This story was updated with statements and information from the criminal complaint.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Brown County District Attorney's Office, Wisconsin Circuit Court, Hobart-Lawrence Police Department and a FOX6 News source. Additional details are from the Green Bay Packers. This story was reported from Milwaukee.