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Son of Broncos owner tells 911 he's "blood of the city"

John Bowlen, whose father owns the Denver Broncos and who works for the team, was arrested this week for allegedly shoving his girlfriend into a wall
Son of Denver Broncos owner arrested for domestic violence 02:55

GLENDALE, Colo. - The woman on the other end of the 911 call yelled something out before the line was cut off, so the Glendale dispatcher called back.

The phone was in the apartment of John Bowlen, the son of aging Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and the heir apparent for running the team. The 29-year-old answered the phone, and tried to get the dispatcher to go away.

"This is the owner of the Denver Broncos," Bowlen told the dispatcher, according to CBS Denver. "I am sorry. K. I have a crazy girlfriend that is leaving my house right now. Nothing is wrong at all."

"Were you guys having a verbal argument?" The dispatcher asked.

"No, no, no. She's leaving right now," said Bowlen. "I swear on my dad's life."

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Bowlen is one of seven children of Pat Bowlen and had been mentioned as a possible successor to his father as Broncos owner, who stepped down last summer after announcing he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, reports CBSSports.com's Ryan Wilson.

"You understand that a female calling asking for help on 911 is kind of a big deal?" The dispatcher asked.

"As the blood of the city I'm telling you right now nothing is wrong and she is leaving my house," said Bowlen.

She tells police they were both drinking and Bowlen was inhaling whippets.

"I am sober," Bowlen told the dispatcher. "I am a man of my word, a man of the city, a friend of the mayor, and everyone knows exactly who I am. I'm going through a lot because I've been taking care of my dad."

Then Bowlen ends the call.

"She is leaving right now, nothing is wrong," he tells the dispatcher. "I love you guys. Thank you. Bye, Bye."

"Don't hang up on me," replied the dispatcher to no avail.

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The incident brings domestic violence back to the NFL'S doorstep, reports CBS News' Adriana Diaz. Last year, former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punched his then fiancée in an elevator.

That case and others prompted the league to overhaul its personal conduct policy. Now, any NFL employee who commits domestic violence is automatically suspended and an independent investigation is launched.

That discipline was laid out in a Broncos statement to CBS News about Bowlen.

"While this is a personal issue, he is accountable to all club and league conduct policies," the team said. "As such, John will be placed on an indefinite leave of absence from the organization."

Bowlen was released from jail Thursday on a personal recognizance bond. He has been charged with misdemeanor harassment and obstruction of telephone service, both considered acts of domestic violence.

Last year, the Broncos were one of the first NFL teams to require a mandatory domestic violence training for all its employees -- including John Bowlen.

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