New York Giants offensive tackle Michael Bowie could see his season shortened significantly after allegations surfaced that he had abused his girlfriend. As per findings mentioned in Tulsa World, the incident took place earlier this summer. As of Saturday August 19th, there was a warrant out for Bowie's arrest with bonds reaching $17,000 total. Tulsa County Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Elmore said that the incident stemmed from an argument that began about finances, but took a violent turn when Bowie's girlfriend made a comment about the athlete's mother. According to the documented information, "police determined Bowie grabbed his girlfriend by the neck during the argument and threw her on the ground, then broke two TVs and punched a hole in her wall."
Bowie originally hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma but the alleged altercation took place in Bixby, Oklahoma. The 25-year-old lineman is a new member of the New York Giants, having signed a partially guaranteed contract in January after he had spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and the Cleveland Browns earlier in his career. The team has released the following statement about his arrest, as per the New York Daily News:
"We were made aware of the Michael Bowie situation Saturday afternoon," it read. "We immediately notified NFL security. Michael will not make the trip for our game in Cleveland as we gather more information on the issue."
This unfortunate situation could have a very real impact on whether Bowie is able to play this season or not. A 2014 NFL rule change now calls for all domestic violence incidents to be resolved by the player receiving a six-game suspension, without pay, since they are found in violation of the league’s personal conduct policy regarding assault, battery, domestic violence or sexual assault that involves physical force. If you're a second-time offender, you risk being hit with a lifetime ban from the NFL, although the league's commissioner hasn't levied a punishment that severe in the past several years. However, considering the current debate surrounding the suspension and subsequent appeal from Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, there's no end in sight to the NFL's current swath of bad PR that comes with these sorts of criminal acts.