Charlotte Hornets’ Miles Bridges faces domestic violence charges

Miles Bridges, a Charlotte Hornets free agent, will be arraigned on Wednesday for felony domestic violence and child abuse, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced. announced tuesday. Bridges, 24, faces one count of harming a parent of a child and two counts of child abuse.

In a press release from the district attorney’s office, Bridges was charged with assaulting his girlfriend in front of their two children in late June. Bridges was arrested June 29 and released on $130,000 bail.

The press release does not name any of the victims. Days after Bridges’ arrest, Mychelle Johnson, a former college basketball player who has two children with Bridges, posted several photos on Instagram that appeared to show bruises and other injuries all over her body. She did not name Bridges in her post and has since deleted it.

Bridges is charged with causing “serious bodily harm to the victim of domestic violence,” according to the news release.

“Domestic violence creates physical, mental and emotional trauma that has a lasting impact on survivors,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “Children who witness domestic violence are particularly vulnerable and the impact on them is immeasurable. Mr. Bridges will be held accountable for his actions and our Office of Victim Services will support survivors through this difficult process.

Bridges is a restricted free agent who just completed his fourth year in the NBA, all with the Hornets. Klutch Sports Group, the agency representing Bridges, did not respond to a request for comment after the arrest and could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday. The Hornets, in a statement, called the charges “very serious” but declined to comment further as it was a “legal matter”. An NBA spokesperson said the league is “investigating the allegations.”

The NBAs collective agreement with its players’ union says a conviction is not required for a violation of the league’s domestic violence policy. The agreement allows the league to place a player on administrative leave while it investigates domestic violence charges. The commissioner may, depending on the findings of the investigation, “fine, suspend or terminate and disqualify a player” from any other association with the NBA” for violating the policy.

Bridges was considered a rising star. Last season, he averaged 20.2 points, 7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game — all career highs. His arrest came a day before free agency negotiations began and a day after the Hornets offered him a qualifying offer, which allows the team to match any other offers he receives. He was to command a maximum contract of around $173 million for five years, according to multiple outlets. A team spokesman said Tuesday that the qualifying offer had not been rescinded.