College Football Player Charged in Assault of Pregnant Girlfriend
University of Houston player Carmello Brooks faces charges after allegedly slamming his pregnant girlfriend to the ground when she refused to take an abortion pill.
A defensive linebacker for the University of Houston football team has been charged with assaulting his pregnant girlfriend, whom he allegedly slammed to the ground after she refused to take an abortion pill. Carmello Brooks, 19, is accused of the assault occurring at his apartment on Thursday, according to KTRK.
The 275-pound student-athlete allegedly squeezed Nariah Harley’s arms and then pinned her to the ground, a hearing officer testified in court on Monday. The incident reportedly followed Harley informing Brooks that she would not take an abortion pill.
Responding officers observed injuries on Harley, but she has since stated that Brooks was not at fault and has requested that the charges against him be dropped. Harley expressed concern about the potential impact on Brooks' football career, as he has been suspended from the University of Houston team.
Harley confirmed an argument took place at Brooks' apartment but stated she was responsible, telling KTRK that Brooks repeatedly asked her to leave, which she refused. She claimed Brooks then "gently put me out the apartment," and that the responding officer misinterpreted the situation, partly due to her visible bruising.
According to Harley, Brooks himself called 911 because she would not leave his apartment. Brooks, from Katy, now faces a charge of assaulting a pregnant person. He was also scheduled to appear in court on Friday for a misdemeanor case involving an alleged altercation with another pregnant woman in August.
In the August incident, Brooks reportedly went to the woman's home, became verbally aggressive, and attempted to take her keys. When the woman closed the door, it sustained damage, appearing consistent with the handle being forcefully pulled inward, according to police. Brooks was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief in that case.
Brooks was a highly-rated recruit in high school, recognized as the No. 100 defensive lineman nationally, according to his university biography.
A spokesperson for Houston Athletics stated, "We are aware of an incident involving a Houston Football student-athlete. We take all allegations of this nature very seriously and are gathering more information."