OfficerBlueWilliamson County, TN – Red Sox starting pitcher Steven Wright was arrested for domestic violence at his home in Tennessee on Friday night.
Wright’s lawyers released a statement on the incident on Sunday which claimed that the arrest was the result of a verbal argument.
Boston Herald reports that the couple has resolved their issues amicably and are back together at home.
The statement from the family attorney says:
“On Friday night, Steven was arrested at our home following a verbal argument, and the police charged him with domestic assault. Although he said things he deeply regrets, he did not raise his hands at anyone during the incident, and the situation was purely emotional. We are working together as a family to make our relationships strong, and we ask that you respect our privacy.”
However, Wright was arrested for interference with emergency calls and domestic violence assault, both misdemeanors.
Specific details about the incident have not been released, but a violation of the interference law requires that the offender prevent somebody from calling 911 or calling other first responders.
In combination with the assault, the incident could have been as minor as probable cause that Wright forcibly removed the phone from his wife’s hands when she was going to call 911, and does not necessarily mean that he struck his wife (although it could also mean that.)
Although that begs the question – why would his wife be calling 911 in the first place and why was he trying to stop her?
The Red Sox issued a statement on the incident which said, “We are aware of the incident involving Steven. This is certainly a matter that the Red Sox take very seriously. It is my understanding that both local police and Major League Baseball are looking into this, and for that reason, the club won’t have any further comment at this time.”
Wright missed last season due to knee surgery and is expected to be healthy for spring training.