Prosecutor says surveillance video shows portion of Josh Jacobs domestic incident
Brown County District Attorney David L. Lasee says garage surveillance footage corroborates parts of the ex-girlfriend's account of the May altercation with Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs, who faces two misdemeanor charges.
The district attorney who charged Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs with two domestic misdemeanors says he has surveillance video that corroborates portions of the alleged victim's account of the incident. Brown County District Attorney David L. Lasee announced Thursday that footage from a camera system in Jacobs' garage shows the physical altercation between Jacobs and his ex-girlfriend, identified in court documents as ANM.
According to the incident report from Lasee's office, ANM told officers that as she tried to exit through the garage door, Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground, causing her to strike her head and suffer an injury. She said Jacobs then took her phone while she was on the ground, and that she lay there for a while before struggling to walk back into the house. The surveillance footage from the garage of the Hobart, Wisconsin residence, captured between 8:30 a.m. and 8:38 a.m. on May 23, corroborates the relevant portions of ANM's statement, including both individuals departing and returning to the residence and their actions in the garage.
The video further shows Jacobs taking ANM's phone while she was on the garage floor, and approximately 40 seconds later, Jacobs returning to the garage and appearing to damage the phone, according to the report. The video is not available for independent inspection at this time but will be used as evidence in the case. Jacobs was charged Thursday with one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of criminal damage to property. He turned himself in to police on May 26, three days after the incident.
Lasee's decision to charge Jacobs came after reviewing a follow-up report from Investigator Van Lanen of the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department received on August 6, and a digital forensic examination report prepared by Frank Angel for the Brown County Sheriff's Office, received on August 13. Those reports relate to the recovery of electronic devices from Jacobs' residence, including components of a video surveillance system and cellular phones belonging to both Jacobs and ANM. Angel's report outlined the complex process of recovering video files from the surveillance system, which took several weeks and culminated in final verification on July 21.
The case has so far been presented as a he-said versus she-said account, with Jacobs' legal team claiming he will be exonerated. However, the existence of video evidence could significantly change the trajectory of the case. The NFL has a history of responding firmly to video evidence of violence by its players. Ray Rice's career ended in 2014 after video surfaced of him striking his then-fiancée in a casino elevator.
The Packers released a statement acknowledging the charges. The team said it is aware of the charges brought against Jacobs and will continue to cooperate with the NFL as it works through the process. The NFL's investigation is ongoing, and Jacobs is subject to discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy. He could also be placed on the commissioner's exempt list, which would allow him to be paid but prevent him from playing. The league typically reviews any video evidence as part of its investigative process.
