San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster has been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence battery at the hotel the team is staying at in Tampa, Fla. ahead of Sunday’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The arrest was first reported by Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Foster was arrested at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay at 9:10 p.m. ET and booked into jail two hours later, per the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office.
Foster faced domestic violence charges from his ex-girlfriend earlier this year. Those charges were dropped in May when the former girlfriend recanted her claims alleging Foster had hit her in February. He did plead no contest to a weapons charge and was suspended two games by the NFL.
Foster was questionable to play against the Buccaneers on Sunday due to a hamstring strain. The arrest Saturday night will probably assure he won’t play for one reason or another.
The 49ers had expressed a zero-tolerance policy for domestic violence issues earlier this year as Foster was going through his previous legal episode.
“We can promise you guys — if there’s someone who ever hits their significant other, girlfriends, some person like that, that person is not going to be on our team,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I feel strongly about that. I know John [Lynch] does. I know our ownership does. That’s how we feel about it. Obviously, Reuben is on our team right now, so we’re waiting to see how that goes. But if that’s something that we felt he did or ended up happening, you guys will see how we feel.”
With another domestic violence incident now alleged against Foster – and while with the team preparing for a road game no less – his time remaining with the 49ers could be running rather short.
UPDATE 2:40 a.m. ET: The Tampa Police Department released a statement regarding Foster’s arrest. Foster had a verbal altercation with a female characterized as having an “on-again, off-again” relationship with Foster over the last three years. The victim claimed Foster had slapped a phone out of her hand, shoved her in the chest and slapped her with an open hand on the right side of her face. Officers saw a one-inch scratch on the victim’s left collar bone. He was been charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic violence.