Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper pleaded not guilty domestic violence charges following his arrest last Thursday night in Colorado. Cooper appeared in Douglas County court on Monday and will return for a motions hearing on July 6. He intends to go to trial, which according to the Denver Post, is expected to begin on July 22.
That trial could coincide with the start of the Broncos’ training camp, which is likely to get underway during the last week of July. Cooper’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, reported the defense does not intend to file any motions to dismiss and will push to have the trial begin “as early as possible” so as to allow Cooper to attend mandatory practices.
Cooper was booked at 2:38 a.m. local time on Friday on two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief, according to Douglas County Jail records.
The record states that Cooper and an adult female were arrested over a fight regarding phones. The woman involved in the incident claimed Cooper cheated, per the arrest record. The police officers say the woman threw Cooper’s phone and he then bit her phone. Police say both phones were damaged in the exchange.
Cooper and the woman provided conflicting accounts of the incident when questioned by police. Cooper reported that he grabbed the woman, identified as his girlfriend, by her upper arm and took his phone. He also reported he “braced his neck against her neck” to prevent her from taking it. His girlfriend claimed that Cooper “grabbed her by the neck” and held her against a wall, and she reported he picked her up and threw her to the ground several times.
Police noted in the arrest affidavit that the woman’s injuries “did not appear consistent with a larger male lifting (her) up into the air by her throat as well as repeatedly being thrown to the ground.”
The woman is scheduled to make a court appearance on June 16 for a pre-trial conference.
“We are aware of the matter and gathering more information,” the Broncos reported in a statement following Cooper’s arrest.
The Broncos drafted Cooper, 28, in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year, $60 million extension with Denver in 2024 and has two years remaining on that contract. Last season, Cooper ranked second on the team with eight sacks.
Cooper has been present at the Broncos offseason program and was with the team for last Thursday’s OTAs.
