Girlfriend asks court to drop assault charge against UH football player
· Yahoo Sports
University of Houston Cougars football player Carmello Brooks appeared in court on Monday as he faces two separate criminal charges, including one accusing him of assaulting a pregnant person. But the woman at the center of the more serious allegation told the judge she wants the case dismissed, insisting police misunderstood what happened.
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During Brooks' initial court appearance, the alleged victim, Nariah Harley, said the incident began with an argument inside Brooks' apartment last week.
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"So we had got into argument at his apartment. He had told me to get out multiple times, and I would not get out. He then just picked me up and gently put me out the apartment," Harley said.
Court records show UH police responded to the apartment. Harley said it was Brooks who called officers.
"He actually called the police. He called 911 because I would not get out his apartment," she said.
Brooks' attorney, Brent Wasserstein, told the court the encounter was recorded on police body camera video and said he believes the footage will support Brooks' account once prosecutors review it.
"So the prosecution is going to review the 911 call that my client made, and they are going to investigate the body cameras that the police officers were wearing when they went out to the scene," Wasserstein said.
Brooks is also facing a separate charge stemming from an August incident in northwest Harris County, where he is accused of damaging a door handle after allegedly getting into another dispute with a different woman and her sister. In that case, prosecutors charged Brooks with criminal mischief. Family members say Brooks and the women involved grew up together in Killeen and knew each other in high school.
Harley is also from Killeen, and currently attends Texas Southern University. She told the court that Brooks is the father of her baby, and she does not consider herself a victim.
"I would like for all the charges to be dismissed, dropped by the DA, and us to need to be able to move on with my life and him to be able to move on with my life, his life," she said.
Wasserstein said Brooks remains suspended from the football team while both cases move forward, but hopes he will be allowed to attend classes as the charges remain pending.