PITTSBURGH — Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush was found not guilty Tuesday in a Pennsylvania court of charges that he assaulted and harassed his girlfriend earlier this year. An Allegheny County judge said the evidence did not show Bush meant to hurt her.
The case stemmed from an incident in May at Bush’s home near Pittsburgh. Police were called after Bush’s girlfriend reported they had argued. She told investigators Bush chased her, grabbed her and broke her phone. Pieces of the cellphone were found by officers.
The woman involved had cuts on her wrist and toe that were noted in police records. She also left the home with her young daughter during the dispute.
Bush admitted in court that he smashed the phone but said he did not hurt the woman. The judge agreed that prosecutors did not prove he intended to cause harm. As a result, Bush was cleared of both simple assault and harassment charges.
Bush, 27, has played all 14 games this season with the Browns and is one of the team’s leading tacklers. Under NFL rules, the league can still review and discipline players even if they are not convicted in court, but no action has been announced.