Former Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton Arrested On Allegation Of Injury To A Child
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Former Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton turned himself in this afternoon in Fort Worth on an allegation of injury to a child, a 3rd degree felony.
CBS 11's Jason Allen was at the Tarrant County Courthouse just after 2 p.m. when the 38-year-old turned himself in.
A $35,000 bond was set.
One of his bond conditions was not to have contact with one of his daughters, and then that was expanded to any child under 17.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, one of Hamilton's daughters said in late September, they started fighting after she said something that upset him. Hamilton allegedly responded first by throwing a water bottle at her, hitting her in the chest. Cursing and yelling at her, he allegedly pulled a chair out from under where her feet were resting. The girl fell, landing on her hip, which she said caused a bruise. Hamilton then picked her up, threw her over his shoulder and carried her to her bedroom. The affidavit said she was yelling "I'm sorry," but he continued on to her room. Once there, he allegedly threw her on the bed, pinning her face down on the bed. According to his daughter, he started hitting her legs with both an open hand and closed fist.
She then says, in the affidavit, that Hamilton picked up her by her sweatshirt, causing it to rip, pushed her back on the bed, and slapped her with his open hand on her back and her legs -- leaving multiple scratches on her back that she said were from his fingernails.
Hamilton finished hitting her, and said, "I hope you go in front of the f*cking judge and tell him what a terrible dad I am so I don't have to see you anymore and you don't ever have to come to my house again."
In a statement, Hamilton's attorney said, "Josh Hamilton voluntarily surrendered himself to Tarrant County authorities today. Mr. Hamilton is innocent of the charge against him and looks forward to clearing his name in court."
The Texas Rangers sent CBS 11 News the following statement:
"The Texas Rangers take the issue of family violence very seriously. We are aware of the situation involving Josh Hamilton. Since this is an ongoing legal matter, we have no further comment."
Hamilton was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame after spending five memorable seasons with the Rangers. During his time with the team from 2008 to 2012, he helped lead the Rangers to two World Series appearances and won AL MVP in 2010. He was also selected for the MLB All-Star games in those five seasons.
He joined the Rangers after being traded from the Cincinnati Reds in December 2007. That's when Hamilton said he became "part of something truly incredible for the next five seasons."
"I was meant to be in Texas. I was born to play ball for the Texas Rangers. That's a fact. I believe that with all my heart," he wrote in the letter published on The Players Tribune.
He talked about Game 6 of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011, where he hit a home run in extra innings to almost give the Rangers the win.
"I hear the Holy Spirit talking to me. This is the honest truth… I'm standing there, getting ready to bat, and I heat it clear as day. 'You're about to hit a homer right now, son.' And I'm like. 'Huh… ok,' " he wrote.
The Rangers weren't able to win either of the World Series but Hamilton left a mark on the team's history, which led to his induction into the Hall of Fame. He also gained the support of fans through troubles in his personal life.
Hamilton dealt with drug and alcohol problems throughout his life and went through several relapses during his playing career in the MLB. He credited faith with keeping him on track.
"I hope that people saw me as just… a real person, a human being, with his struggles and his challenges like everyone else," he wrote. "I wasn't trying to pretend that I was Superman, or like I was above anybody and could do no wrong. I was just trying to do the best I could and to be honest about what I was going through."
This a developing story, refresh often for updates.
