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It is rare when anyone, much less an NFL player who has the guidance of legal counsel, breaks his silence days after a domestic violence arrest, but Denver Broncos edge rusher Jonathon Cooper has done exactly that, and there are surprises.
Cooper went on his Instagram account and posted a long Bible Scripture as one of his Stories, which seems, well, strange given the allegations against him.
And then he apologized for his actions.
Cooper was arrested in Colorado around 11 p.m. on Thursday and was held overnight on two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief following an incident with his girlfriend, who was also arrested on a domestic violence charge.
BRONCOS STAR JONATHAN COOPER ARRESTED ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGES
Cooper, a sixth-year player with 31.5 career sacks, appeared in a Douglas County courtroom Friday morning with his attorney Harvey Steinberg. A follow-up plea hearing was tentatively scheduled for Monday and the 6-foot-5, 251-pound Cooper was released on a personal recognizance bond.
And, in the meantime, Cooper apologized.
He posted Bible verses on his Instagram Stories about anger and then added his own message:
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“I realize posting a Bible. (sic) Quote right after something very serious happens does not just mean everything is okay,” Cooper posted. “I apologize to my family, to my friends and my community.
“And so many others.”
Cooper added on another story: “I apologize. This situation is not who I am.”
The Scripture Cooper posted is a highlighted photo of Ephesians 4:26-32.
It begins …
“Do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not let the sun go down on your anger.”
Verses 31 and 32, which Cooper also had highlighted read, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
A legal expert who requested anonymity told Fox News on Sunday evening that he would have advised Cooper to remain silent, including on social media.
He said this social media post could pose a challenge for Cooper’s legal team if a case goes to trial. He said prosecutors could conceivably use the apology as evidence, making the point to a jury that not guilty (innocent) people have no reason to apologize.
That all remains to be seen because many of these cases do not make it past the charge phase, much less to trial. And that is much more rare when both parties are arrested on charges of domestic abuse which is what happened in this incident.
According to the arrest affidavit, Cooper’s girlfriend and Cooper were arguing over cheating allegations.
She then grabbed Cooper’s phone, threw it, then picked it up and tried to go through it. Cooper allegedly got in some sort of physical contact with her as he tried to take back his phone, per the affidavit.
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Conflicting statements from the two witnesses (Cooper and his girlfriend) and lack of bruises, scratches or other credible evidence of physical contact, led the responding officer to conclude there was “no probable cause for harassment or assault charges.”
Cooper did admit, however, that he caused “disabling damage” to his girlfriend’s phone when he bit it. Yes, weird.
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The affidavit also includes allegations from the girlfriend that Cooper picked her up by the throat although the officer concluded that a “small mark on [her] neck did not appear to be consistent with the claim [she] had been held up in the air by her throat by another individual.”
The Broncos and the NFL are both aware of the incident.
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