Miles Bridges, a 24-year-old NBA free agent, is accused of abusing his girlfriend Mychelle Johnson in front of their two young children.
According to DA George Gascón, the allegations originate from two different arguments on June 27 and 28, which are said to have gotten violent. The charges were brought in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Following the claimed incident, Johnson posted pictures of her severely disfigured face on social media. She claims Bridges assaulted her and caused her to sustain a fractured nose, a concussion, and other severe wounds.
‘Domestic violence creates physical, mental and emotional trauma that has a lasting impact on survivors,’ Gascón said. ‘Children who witness family violence are especially vulnerable and the impact on them is immeasurable.
‘Mr. Bridges will be held accountable for his actions and our Bureau of Victim Services will support the survivors through this difficult process.’
Bridges is charged with two felonies for child abuse and one felony for harming a child’s parent. He was initially detained on June 29 and is now at large on $130,000 bail.
Bridges, the Charlotte Hornets’ leading scorer the previous season, initially reported the burglary to Los Angeles police on June 30.
He was freed on a $130,000 bail while the investigation was ongoing.
When Johnson contacted the police following the second incident, everything reached a climax. Before they arrived, he had already left the scene.
She posted many images of her bruised face, back, hands, ear, and leg on her Instagram page the next day, declaring that she “won’t be silent anymore.”
A medical report detailing the degree of her injuries was also released by Johnson.
She reportedly had a bruised rib, a concussion, and had been strangled. The diagnosis read: ‘Adult victim of physical abuse by male partner.’
‘I’ve allowed someone to destroy my home, abuse me in every way possible and traumatise our kids for life,’ she wrote.
She said that “from being choked until I went to sleep,” she had ripped muscles in her neck.
‘I have nothing to prove to the world, but I won’t allow anyone who could do something so horrible to have no remorse and paint a picture of something I’m not.
‘I won’t allow the people around him to continue to silence me and continue to lie to protect this person. It’s unethical, it’s immoral, it’s truly sick,’ she said.
Both the NBA and the Hornets said that they were apprised of the charges.
‘These are very serious charges that we will continue to monitor,’ the Hornets told the Associated Press. ‘As this is a legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.’
The 12th pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Bridges earned $16 million playing for the Hornets for four seasons. He became a free agent in June and the team extended an $8 million offer for the 2022-23 season.
Hoops Hype’s Michael Scotto speculated that he could field a $25 million annual salary before the arrest and felony charges became public.
It’s unclear how the case will effect his professional career.
Bridges has gained a reputation as a hot head on and off the court.
In April, after being ejected from a game in Atlanta for cursing at officials, he tried to throw his mouth guard at a male heckler, but instead accidentally hit a 16-year-old female fan in the face.
Bridges was apologetic when addressing the media later.
‘I was aiming for the guy that was screaming at me and it hit a little girl,’ Bridges said. ‘So that’s definitely unacceptable on my part and I take full responsibility.
‘That’s out of character for me. You’ve been around me; I don’t act like that or ever flash out like that. So that was definitely wrong.’
Bridges shared a picture of a purple drink and what seemed to be a joint on social media earlier this month. His supporters immediately accused him of drinking lean, a mixture that often consists of a soft drink or alcohol, cough medication with codeine and promethazine, and both.
Later, he refuted the charge by claiming it was “pink lemonade.”
The native of Flint was named to the first team of the Big Ten and the second-team All-Americans at Michigan State in 2018.
He became the main benefactor of the Hornets’ talented rookie point guard, LaMelo Ball, who averaged 20.2 points per game on nearly 50% shooting last season.
On Wednesday, Bridges will be formally charged in LA Superior Court.
