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Brady HendersonESPN
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Aldon Smith turned himself in Tuesday night after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with an alleged battery in the New Orleans area, according to the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Smith turned himself in at St. Bernard Parish Prison shortly before 8 p.m. ET. He was booked and released Wednesday on $25,000 bond. Smith is scheduled to be arraigned July 14.
An arrest warrant was issued for Smith on Monday for an alleged second-degree battery that occurred Saturday evening. St. Bernard Parish District Attorney Perry Nicosia told ESPN that Smith allegedly choked a victim unconscious during a confrontation that began inside a coffee shop in Chalmette, Louisiana.
The alleged incident rises to a second-degree battery charge because the victim was rendered unconscious, according to Nicosia. He said the victim was taken to a hospital but did not have to stay overnight.
In a news release, the St. Bernard Parish District Attorney’s office said that the alleged victim suffered “severe injuries” and that an offender convicted of second-degree battery faces a fine of up to $2,000 and/or up to eight years in prison.
According to a news release from the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call for medical assistance, and when they arrived, they came into contact with a male victim who said he had been assaulted by an acquaintance of his. Detectives with the Criminal Investigations Bureau identified the suspect as Smith.
Two days before the alleged incident, the Seahawks signed Smith, 31, to a one-year deal worth $1,127,500 ($137,500 guaranteed). He had resurrected his career with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 after missing more than four seasons because of an indefinite suspension by the NFL for multiple off-field incidents and violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
In a statement Monday, the Seahawks said, “We are aware of the reports regarding Aldon Smith. Aldon notified us and we are gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time.”
ESPN’s Mike Triplett contributed to this report.