FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry is being investigated for possible domestic battery, officials said Monday, an allegation the player’s girlfriend called a fabrication.
A spokesman for the Broward County State Attorney’s office said Monday in an email the allegations were under review and no decision has been made on whether Landry will be charged.
The case was recently referred to prosecutors by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. A heavily-redacted police report is dated April 1, but Landry’s girlfriend said in a statement released by his sports management firm the incident occurred in March.
Estrella Cerqueira, who is the mother of Landry’s daughter, said in the statement that the couple had a “vocal disagreement” but that she never felt physical threatened and that nothing violent took place. She said someone else she did not identify called police.
“I would like to make it very clear that Jarvis would never, ever do anything to harm me or anyone else,” Cerqueira said.
“Jarvis and I are happily raising our beautiful daughter and I would like to make a plea to the media that they refrain from spreading this completely false story,” she added.
Broward County court records, however, show Cerqueira has filed a paternity suit against Landry and she acknowledged in the statement that has caused emotional strain between them.
“Yes, we are going through a civil family court case and emotions are high,” she said.
Dolphins coach Adam Gase says the team is aware of the situation and that “proper steps” have been taken, although he did not specify what he meant.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the authority to suspend players without criminal convictions under the league’s personal conduct policy. The NFL amended the policy three years ago to strengthen punishments in domestic cases.
Landry, 24, is in his fourth NFL season out of Louisiana State University. He has 288 career receptions for 3,051 yards for the Dolphins and has twice made the Pro Bowl.
He was on the practice field Monday but was not made available to the media.
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AP Sports Writer Steven Wine contributed to this story from Davie, Florida.
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