NBA veteran Amar’e Stoudemire has been charged with misdemeanor battery after allegedly hitting his teenage daughter. According to Miami-Dade County court records, Stoudemire, 40, was arrested early Dec. 18 and later released on a $1,500 bond with a no-contact order issued, ESPN reported. A copy of the police report obtained by The Miami Herald indicated that the incident occurred at Stoudemire’s Miami home Saturday night when he allegedly struck one of his two teenage girls. The report did not identify the girls, ages 17 and 14. The arrest report obtained by TMZ suggested Stoudemire struck his daughter in the face at least twice, once with a closed fist, characterized by the girl as a punch and once as a slap. A police report alleged that Stoudemire confronted the girl, told her, “You’re talking back again,” and punched her in the jaw when she denied disrespecting his mother during a phone call.
He is alleged to have continued to strike his daughter’s body after the blows to her face, according to the report. His daughter was left bloodied from the hits, TMZ reported. The girl contacted her mother with photos of her alleged injuries. Stoudemire’s ex-wife picked up both girls and their two brothers and contacted the police. The report said that Stoudemire told officers at his home that the teenage girl was “sad” because she received a whooping for being disrespectful and a liar. After that, he invoked his right to remain silent. Stoudemire denied the charges against him in a Sunday night statement on social media. “I could never see myself assaulting any person, especially my children,” Stoudemire wrote. “I respect, protect, and love my family, particularly my children. As a father, I ask for your grace as we secure our space and privacy.”
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In court records, Stoudemire does not have an attorney listed. His Instagram page shows he graduated from the University of Miami with his Master’s degree early Saturday. During the 2002-03 season, Stoudemire won the Rookie of the Year award with the Phoenix Suns. During his NBA career, he played eight seasons with Phoenix before he was traded to the New York Knicks, where he played for five years before retiring in 2017. After one season each with the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, he played in Israel until he retired in 2017. If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has a 24-hour helpline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org.
