Former NFL cornerback Dimitri Patterson reportedly faces a felony charge of child abuse after his son was injured during an altercation between Patterson and the boy’s mother.
According to case records reported by ESPN.com on Wednesday, Patterson was arrested Aug. 1 in South Florida after he threw Erika Medina to the ground while she was holding their 1-year-old son.
The boy’s head hit the pavement, and he suffered a bruise to the back of the head, police said. Medina, 28, suffered a cut to her left elbow, and her neck was red where Patterson allegedly had grabbed her before throwing her to the ground.
Medina said Patterson had become violent after they argued about child support payments during a custody exchange of their son, per the Aventura Police Department report.
Patterson was later arrested at his home in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. He also was charged with misdemeanor battery.
He is due in court for a hearing on Aug. 31.
Patterson was released by the New York Jets last August after he failed to show up for a preseason game.