Pelican’s Jaxson Hayes Charged With Domestic Violence, Battery On A Cop

Los Angeles, CA – New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes has been charged with 12 misdemeanors, including domestic violence, in connection with his much-publicized arrest by Los Angeles police last summer.

Bodycam video showed what happened at about 3:14 a.m. on July 28, 2021 when officers responded to a 911 call about a domestic dispute at Hayes’ residence in the 22000-block of Mariano Street, TMZ reported.

A woman had called 911 for help for her cousin who had sent “disturbing” texts from Hayes’ home.

The woman said her cousin claimed Hayes was “getting loud and violent” but she was “scared and couldn’t call the police herself,” TMZ reported.

The video showed LAPD officers encountered the 21-year-old, six-foot, 11-inch, 220-pound New Orleans Pelicans center in his front yard and asked him to wait outside while they went in to check on the person inside.

Bodycam video showed Hayes told the officers they needed a warrant, and they explained to him that under the circumstances, they did not.

“You’re not going to kick me outta my house, bro,” Hayes told officers in the video.

Hayes’ friend who was at the house when the altercation occurred tried to talk his friend out of tangling with the police.

The video showed he got behind Jaxson and wrapped his arms around him as if to hold him back from attacking the police.

At the same time, the friend begged officers not to touch Hayes.

Bodycam video showed the officer radioed dispatch and requested backup at Hayes’ home as the situation continued to escalate.

The video showed Hayes pulled away from his friend and made a move to go into his home, and officers stopped him.

When officers tried to handcuff the basketball player, he pulled away and shoved one of the officers up against the wall, the bodycam showed.

“Put out a help call,” one of the officers told another in the video.

Officers then wrestled Hayes to the ground while his friend yelled at him to stop fighting police.

“Stop resisting or I’m gonna Tase you,” an officer told Hayes in the video multiple times.

A woman came out of the house and started screaming off camera.

At one point, when officers had Hayes down on the ground, he complained that he couldn’t breathe, and one officer told another to get his knee off him, the video showed.

As soon as the officer took his knee off the basketball player, Hayes sat up and started screaming about wanting badge numbers as he continued to resist arrest.

That’s when an officer deployed his Taser and took Hayes down to the ground so he could be placed in handcuffs, the video showed.

Bodycam showed that police Tased Hayes twice while they struggled to take him into custody.

Hayes’ friend filmed the incident on his cell phone and posted it to social media along with claims of police brutality.

But after the bodycam was released, Hayes found himself on the hot seat.

On Jan. 20, the 21-year-old professional basketball player was charged with 12 misdemeanors that included domestic violence, resisting arrest, and battery against a police officer in connection with that incident, TMZ reported.

Court records showed he was arraigned on Jan. 24, ESPN reported.

“Since before the charges were filed, the Pelicans have worked in conjunction with the NBA on the matter and will continue to do so moving forward,” the Pelicans said in a statement after the charges were announced.

Hayes has played in 34 games for the Pelicans so far this year and has averaged 7.0 points per game.