Domestic assault charge against Patriots star Christian Barmore to be dropped

Christian Barmore, a star defensive tackle with the New England Patriots, will no longer face prosecution for a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault.  

Barmore, 26, appeared in court in Attleboro, Massachusetts Monday for his arraignment. After several lengthy sidebars, the prosecutor said the case is "not viable." The state will have one day to officially file a nolle prosequi, which is a legal motion that means a case will no longer move forward.

The defensive lineman was supposed to be arraigned on February 3, but that was later changed to Monday. Prosecutors wanted to delay the arraignment again, but the judge said she would not allow that.

"The original request of the parties was, as the motion indicated, to have the arraignment continued for a period of time so the parties could continue to be in communication. Mr. Barmore continued to engage in some counseling that he on his own proactively decided to engage in," the prosecutor said. "The Commonwealth's position based on the updated information, which was confirmed by the victim in this case, is that the case is not viable for prosecution at this point."

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said the case was too weak to go forward, in part because the victim didn't want to come back to Massachusetts to testify. "Our review of the evidence is this was not a case we could prove," Quinn said.

Barmore dodged NFL punishment by not getting arraigned. An arraignment could have triggered an NFL rule that would have placed him on administrative leave, making him unable to attend practice or games.

"He's got a lot on the line here; he has a professional contract. He's got the ability to provide for his family and he's very fortunate," Quinn said. "I would toe the line if I were Christian Barmore."

Allegations against Christian Barmore

Barmore was charged with one count of assault and battery on a woman later identified as a girlfriend, after an incident at their home in Mansfield, Massachusetts on August 8, according to court documents.

The woman had been dating Barmore for more than three years, has a child with him, and was pregnant at the time of the alleged assault with their second child, according to the Mansfield Police report. She told an investigator that Barmore was upset the morning of August 8 because the air conditioner was set at 70 degrees and he wanted it at 68.

"She tried to avoid Christian for the rest of the day as she knew he was in a bad mood," the report stated. Later, as she was talking to her mother on the phone, Barmore allegedly took the phone away from his girlfriend and ended the call. The woman said she then went to the front door of their home.

"She intended to open the door and scream for help but Christian grabbed her before she could and threw her to the floor," police wrote. "She tried to get up but Christian had grabbed her by the shirt in the area of her neck." The woman told officers Barmore eventually let her go. She got her phone back, called a car service allegedly used by the Patriots, and got a ride to Delaware with their child.

The woman told police she "had bruises from being thrown to the floor" and took a photo, which was added to the police report. She told investigators she was afraid to go forward with criminal charges at the time because Barmore might come after her again.

"(She) is worried he may hire someone to harm her and make her life difficult" and that "he can hire anyone" because of the amount of money Barmore has as an NFL player, the police report read.

The woman decided to go ahead with criminal charges on September 9, the report said. A criminal complaint was issued on December 16.

"We are confident that the evidence will demonstrate that no criminal conduct took place. Based on the facts and the law, we expect that this personal matter will be resolved in the near future and both parties will move forward together," Barmore's attorney David Meier said in a statement on December 31.

The Patriots issued a statement earlier this year, saying, "the matter remains part of an ongoing legal process. We will respect that process, continue to monitor the situation closely, as we have over the past few months, and cooperate fully with the league. We will have no further comment at this time."

Back in October 2024, Barmore was involved in an incident with police in Providence, Rhode Island during a traffic stop. He apologized days later.

Barmore played the entire 2025 season, but missed most of the 2024 season because of issues with blood clots.