Miles Bridges, a Charlotte Hornets free agent, will be arraigned Wednesday on felony charges of domestic violence and child abuse, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. Bridges, 24, faces one count of injuring a child’s parent and two counts of child abuse.
In a news release from the district attorney’s office, Bridges was accused of assaulting his girlfriend in front of their two children in late June. Bridges was arrested on June 29 and released on $130,000 bond.
The news release did not name any of the victims. Days after Bridges was arrested, Mychelle Johnson, a former college basketball player who has two children with Bridges, posted several photos on Instagram that appeared to show bruising and other injuries throughout her body. She did not name Bridges in her post and has since deleted it.
Bridges is accused of causing “great bodily injury on the domestic violence victim,” according to the news release.
“Domestic violence creates physical, mental and emotional trauma that has a lasting impact on survivors,” George Gascón, the Los Angeles County district attorney, said in a statement. “Children who witness family violence are especially vulnerable and the impact on them is immeasurable. Mr. Bridges will be held accountable for his actions and our Bureau of Victim Services will support the survivors through this difficult process.”
Bridges is a restricted free agent who just finished his fourth year in the N.B.A., all with the Hornets. Klutch Sports Group, the agency that represents 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 because it was a “legal matter.” A spokesman for the N.B.A. said the league was “investigating the allegations.”
The N.B.A.’s collective bargaining agreement with its players’ union states that a conviction is not required for a violation of the league’s domestic violence policy. The agreement empowers the league to place a player on administrative leave while it investigates domestic violence accusations. The commissioner may, depending on the finding of the investigation, “fine, suspend, or dismiss and disqualify” a player “from any further association with the N.B.A.” for violating the policy.
Bridges has been 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 one day before the start of free agency negotiations and one day after the Hornets had extended him a qualifying offer, which allows the team to match any other offers he receives. He had been expected to command a maximum contract of around $173 million for five years, according to multiple media reports. A spokesman for the team said on Tuesday that the qualifying offer had not been rescinded.
