Patriots' Jabrill Peppers arrested, charged with assault, strangulation

New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers, a team captain and one of the best defensive backs in the AFC, has found himself embroiled in the middle of some serious legal trouble. His availability for New England could be put in jeopardy if the situation progresses further.

Peppers was arrested in Braintree, Massachusetts on Saturday morning and charged with multiple offenses. It is unclear if the Patriots were aware of what happened with Peppers, who did not play in their loss against the Miami Dolphins due to a shoulder injury, prior to their recent game.

The charges include assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation and possession of a Class B substance, which was later identified as cocaine. A victim was treated at the scene, and there has been no information about the victim's condition made public.

Patriots DB Jabrill Peppers arrested, charged with assault, strangulation

UPDATE: Peppers is accused of hitting his girlfriend and choking her at least six times, according to court documents and statements made to police.

The Patriots recently released a statement in the wake of the incident, which is very troubling for Peppers' long-term availability. "We are aware of an incident involving Jabrill Peppers over the weekend in which the police are currently investigating. We will have no further comment at this time,” the statement read.

Peppers has recorded 161 tackles, three interceptions, and a sack after joining the Patriots three years ago. After five seasons split between the Browns and Giants, Peppers seemed to have found a home with the Patriots under both Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo. This incident throws that standing into question.

The Patriots recently made a huge commitment to Peppers in the offseason, signing him to a three-year, $30 million contract in July. On a young team that may struggle to win some games, the Patriots committed to him with the idea of him providing consistency and leadership in the locker room.

While this is still very much a pending legal matter that will not be resolved immediately, it is disappointing to see such a big name for this team embroiled in such a scary and dangerous situation.

UPDATE

After appearing in court on Monday morning, Peppers' attorney is claiming the veteran safety has evidence that contradicts the complainants accusations and they will provide that to the court in his defense. TMZ has more details on the matter.