Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, who was selected for the 2018 Pro Bowl, was arrested late Sunday night in Davie, Florida, hours after the Dolphins beat the New England Patriots in Massachusetts. Howard was arrested and charged with domestic battery after getting into an alleged argument with his fiancée. Howard did not travel with the team for the game as he has been on the injured reserve list since Oct. 29.
Howard and his fiancée allegedly got into a fight over a purse he bought without her knowledge, according to the police report obtained by the Sun Sentinel. The fight allegedly turned physical when Howard grabbed her arms and pushed her into a mirrored glass wall in a hallway. He let her go, and she fell to the floor with her right arm landing on his crutches.
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The report said his fiancée had scratches and redness on her right wrist and forearm. Howard was arrested at 10:53 p.m. and taken to Broward County Sheriff’s Office Main Jail by Davie Fire Rescue.
Howard was held on $3,000 bond Monday morning. According to the Sun Sentinel, it appears he was already posted bond as he is no longer listed on the Broward County Sheriff’s Office website.
Howard, 26, was ordered to have no contact with his fiancée during the hearing, reports TMZ. He appeared in court on crutches.
Howard and his fiancée have been living together for six years and have three children, according to the police report.
“We are aware of the situation and currently gathering information,” the Dolphins said in a statement Monday. “We will have no further comment at this time.
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores briefly discussed Howard’s situation in his final press conference of the 2019 season Monday afternoon.
“We’re still gathering information on that,” Flores said. “We take situations like that very, very seriously. We’re gathering information, and it’s unfortunate. How does it impact us? It does impact us. Again, we take these things very seriously. We’ll gather all the information and do what’s best for the organization.”
Flores would not commit to keeping Howard on the Dolphins’ roster until the team gathers “all the information.”
Heading into the 2019 season, Howard was considered the team’s best player and signed a five-year extension worth $75 million after making the Pro Bowl last year. He played in only five games this season, with 17 total tackles and one interception. He has not played all 16 games in a season since 2017.
Howard was put on injured reserve due to a left knee injury. He underwent knee surgery earlier this month.
Photo credit: Mark Brown/Getty Images
