Ray McDonald Arrested For Domestic Violence, Says ‘Truth Will Come Out’

Over the weekend defensive end Ray McDonald became the latest member of the San Francisco 49ers run afoul of the law. Early Sunday morning he was arrested on charges of felony domestic violence and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail.

According to the Sacramento Bee, police were called to McDonald’s home during a birthday party in his honor and arrived at approximately 2 a.m. There had been an earlier altercation with his fiancee, who had visible bruising on her body.

McDonald was released on Sunday afternoon and scheduled to appear in court to face the charges on September 15.

Upon his release McDonald was quick to refute the allegations, specifically “inflicting injury on a spouse or a cohabitant,” his pregnant fiancee. He called it a “crazy situation” and added, “the truth will come out.”

This isn’t the first time McDonald has found himself in trouble as an NFL player. In 2010 he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Unfortunately for McDonald, the timing couldn’t be worse. In reaction to the onslaught of negative publicity in the wake of the Ray Rice suspension, commissioner Roger Goodell recently outlined a new policy which includes far more substantial penalties for players involved in domestic violence.

Per the announcement, there is now a mandatory six-game suspension for a first domestic violence offense. The second offense gets a player banished from the league, with the ability to petition for reinstatement after a year.

McDonald’s arrest is the ninth Niners arrest since Aldon Smith’s DUI in January 2012. Other arrests include Chris Culliver’s hit-and-run and Smith’s crazy incident at Los Angeles International Airport.