Boston Celtics guard Jabari Bird was arraigned on charges of assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation and kidnapping Thursday morning.
According to reports, Bird is accused of violently attacking his girlfriend, including chocking her approximately a dozen times, during an argument at her Brighton apartment last Friday. CBS Boston reports that the judge set bail at $50,000 cash, which is due by 4 pm today.
Per CBS Boston,
"Prosecutors allege that Bird strangled his girlfriend, a college student, a dozen times to the point that she lost consciousness for a period of time. Police say she locked herself in the bathroom, and at one point in the alleged altercation she was hiding under a bed."
"According to police report, Bird threw the woman against a wall and continued the attack for about four hours. Bird allegedly dragged the victim by the ankles away from a door when she tried to leave."
"The woman told police Bird was having “seizure like” symptoms when she eventually escaped. She said Bird texted her that he would kill himself if she didn’t come back."
According to Boston Celtics beat reporter Tom Westerholm, Bird's release will be pending conditions, including no drugs or alcohol, no weapons, and court-ordered supervision. He will be allowed to travel with the Celtics, if it’s court-approved, and his former high school basketball coach will reportedly come to Boston to help supervise him while the case is pending.
The Celtics released an updated statement following Bird’s arraignment: “Most importantly, our thoughts are with the victim of this incident. The Celtics organization deplores domestic violence of any kind, and we are deeply disturbed by the allegations against Jabari Bird. Pursuant to Domestic Violence Policy in the NBA’s labor agreement, matters of this kind are handled by the League Office, not the team, and so the Celtics will be working with both the league and local authorities to assist in their ongoing investigations. The team will have no further comment at this time.”
Bird, 24, was selected by the Celtics with the 56th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He appeared in just 13 games last season.