Former Oregon, New England Patriots star charged with crime

Former Oregon Ducks and New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung went to court on Tuesday. Chung’s facing charges for assault and battery against a family member and vandalism.

The mother of one of Chung’s children filed the charges in the state of Massachusetts. The former Patriot retired in March of 2021 and still resides in New England.

The woman bringing the charges against the three-time Super Bowl Champion obtained a civil restraining order. Chung pleaded not guilty to the charges and secured his release by posting a $10,000 bond. His next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 7.

The woman told police Chung pushed her to the ground, hit her with an open hand and destroyed her cellphone. She did not require treatment from responding paramedics, according to a report from CBS Boston.

Chung’s lawyer painted a picture of innocence to the media.

“Mr. Chung is an upstanding member of the community, wonderful father, and he looks forward to be able to set this straight in respect to what actually occurred. He is the victim in this matter,” Sandy Pesiridis, Chung’s attorney, said.

Chung’s accuser told the cops that her son, who was staying with Chung on Monday, said the former NFL star was driving fast. He said he was “scared of his father’s behavior,” according to the police report.

The women reportedly slapped Chung but the report concluded that the former footballer was the initial aggressor in Monday’s incident.

The domestic violence charges are not Patrick Chung’s first run-in with the law. In 2019, the California native received an indictment on a felony charge for possession of cocaine in New Hampshire. Chung had the charge conditionally dismissed in 2020.

Patrick Chung’s unexpected retirement

Patrick Chung opted out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, he planned to get back on the field for the Patriots in 2021. He even did workouts at the New England facilities. Instead, he announced his retirement in March.

He posted on Instagram that “it’s time to start a new life.”

Chung played 11 seasons in the NFL, almost entirely with the New England Patriots. He played in 153 career regular-season games with 122 starts and started in 20 post-season games.

After the Patriots selected him in the second round of the 2009 draft out of Oregon, Chung went on to record 11 interceptions, 4.5 sacks, 56 pass deflections and 773 tackles.