SEATTLE — Seattle Seahawks starting linebacker Leroy Hill was arrested for investigation of domestic violence in the Seattle suburb of Issaquah over the weekend, just days after reaching a plea deal on a marijuana charge in Georgia.
Hill was arrested by Issaquah police and booked into that city’s jail early Sunday for investigation of assault in the fourth degree/domestic violence.
According to a release from Issaquah police, officers responded to a complaint of a domestic dispute late Saturday night at the Hill residence. Officers determined there had been a dispute between Hill and his girlfriend.
Police said Hill’s girlfriend had obvious marks and injuries indicating an assault had occurred and she alleged Hill had caused these injuries.
He was taken into custody without incident. Hill posted bail and was released. Seattle starts a voluntary three-day minicamp on Tuesday.
“While we are still in the process of gathering information, we are aware of the situation involving Leroy Hill and take these issues very seriously,” Seahawks GM John Schneider said in a statement late Monday afternoon. “We will wait to receive all the facts before commenting further.”
Hill’s latest run-in with the law came less than two weeks after he dealt with a marijuana charge in Georgia. On April 1, Hill received 12 months of probation in Georgia after pleading guilty to a charge of marijuana possession stemming from a January 2009 traffic stop in suburban Atlanta.
As part of his plea in Georgia, Hill agreed to complete an outpatient drug and alcohol abuse counseling program and 30 hours of community service.
Hill, who has started 61 of his 67 career games for Seattle, must also pay fines in Georgia totaling $500. He is subject to random drug testing. If he completes all the requirements in 12 months, he can petition the court to have the conviction erased from his record under the jurisdiction’s conditional discharge program.
The 27-year-old Hill could be subject to testing and possible discipline in the NFL’s confidential substance abuse program.
The Douglas County sheriff’s office said last year that Hill had apparently fallen asleep behind the wheel at a major intersection early on a Saturday morning. Officers found less than one ounce of marijuana in the vehicle. Hill was released after posting a $1,500 bond.
Two days after the incident, Hill said he was embarrassed by “the poor judgment I showed.”
The Seahawks then placed their franchise tag for 2009 on Hill to keep him from leaving for free agency. He refused to sign an $8.3 million tender offer but eventually signed a six-year contract worth a guaranteed $15.5 million. The deal could potentially be worth $38 million.
Hill’s agent, Todd France, said last year that Seattle placing the franchise tag on Hill showed the marijuana incident was behind the Seahawks as of February 2009, and that his client remains a valued member of the team that drafted him in the third round out of Clemson in 2005.
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