The San Francisco 49ers are about to face an early test in the John Lynch/Kyle Shanahan era after former first-round pick and star rookie linebacker Reuben Foster was charged with felony domestic violence by the Santa Clara District Attorney.
Foster also faces an allegation that he inflicted great bodily injury, a charge of forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime, and possession of an assault weapon, all three of which are felonies. In addition, he was charged with misdemeanor possession of a large capacity weapon magazine. Foster could face up to 11 years in prison if convicted.
The SCDA announced the news on Thursday morning and the details of the alleged incident are highly concerning.
According to the DA, Foster "physically attacked" his live-in girlfriend, a 28-year-old woman who was not identified, "during a February argument at their Los Gatos (California) home."
According to the police report, the victim claimed that "Foster dragged her by her hair, physically threw her out of the house, and punched her in the head 8 to 10 times." She "flagged down a stranger's car" and called the police.
The attack left her "bruised and with a ruptured ear drum" according to the DA.
Additionally, during the search of Foster's house, "officers found the weapon – a Sig Sauer 516 – along with its large capacity magazine – both of which are illegal to possess in California."
"Our focus is on holding accountable those who hurt their intimate partners," said prosecutor Kevin Smith in the statement. "Our Office handles between four and five thousand domestic violence cases each year. We only hope that this case illuminates the tragic regularity of the rest."
Per the DA, Foster will be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 12 in Department 44 of the Hall of Justice in San Jose.
Foster was arrested back in February and accused of dragging his girlfriend at the time.
Foster now also likely faces a six-game suspension from the NFL based on the league's domestic violence policy. Given how things unfolded with Ezekiel Elliott last year, it would be surprising if Foster, given the nature of the allegations and the charges and the incident, was not directly in the league's crosshairs when it came to a potential and/or likely punishment.
The 49ers have a pretty serious decision to make here. They previously cut Tramaine Brock when the cornerback was arrested following an alleged domestic-violence incident with his girlfriend. They didn't mince any words and they didn't hesitate.
They have taken a different approach to Foster, and it's not hard to read between the lines about the value of the different players to the organization from a football standpoint. Lynch said after the 2017 NFL Draft the 49ers considered taking Foster with a top-five pick. They value him greatly as a player. Oftentimes players who are greatly valued receive different treatment in circumstances like this.
It is certainly their prerogative to let the legal process play out, as well as the NFL disciplinary process, but all eyes will be on Foster and the 49ers for the next several months.
