Browns linebacker Devin Bush has been acquitted of assaulting his girlfriend following a bench trial in Pennsylvania.
PITTSBURGH — Browns linebacker Devin Bush has been found not guilty of assaulting his girlfriend this past May in Pennsylvania.
Documents from the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County confirm Judge Bruce Beemer acquitted Bush on Tuesday following a bench trial. The 27-year-old Bush had faced a misdemeanor charge of simple assault as well as a summary charge of harassment.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by 3News this past spring, Bush’s girlfriend told dispatchers Bush had assaulted her and took her car keys before leaving the residence in Sewickley, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Once police arrived, the woman claimed that the argument had begun that morning over one of Bush’s friends and escalated over a mess in the kitchen. She told officers that Bush became more aggressive, prompting her to start recording the argument on her phone — which allegedly led to Bush chasing her around the house after noticing he was being recorded.
Per the police report, the woman accused Bush of pinning her against a massage table and using his full body weight to take the phone. She told authorities that Bush then smashed the phone and searched for her iPad to prevent her from contacting anyone.
The woman eventually left with her daughter to a nearby neighbor’s home. Officers reported seeing visible injuries, including a cut on her right wrist and an abrasion near her pinky toe, which she said were caused by the incident. The complaint also noted that Bush admitted to smashing the phone, but denied getting physical with the victim.
Under its domestic violence policy, the NFL can suspend players even if they are not convicted of a crime, but so far Bush has not faced discipline. The former first-round draft pick has played all 14 games during his second season with Cleveland, tallying 93 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown).