Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs filed a lawsuit against the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department seeking to prevent the public release of evidence in his battery case, according to the supplied report. The request includes video, audio, images, statements and other materials connected to the matter.
Jacobs’ complaint argues that public disclosure could harm the privacy, dignity, safety and emotional well-being of the woman involved. It also says release could interfere with her ability to obtain closure. The complaint further raises a concern about Jacobs’ personal security, contending that video showing the interior of his garage could expose details about the property and its access points.
The criminal complaint accused Jacobs of throwing his former girlfriend to the ground and damaging her phone. The supplied report says video would show the portion of the incident that took place in the garage. These are allegations described in the criminal complaint; the report does not provide the video or an independent account of what it depicts.
Jacobs pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property arising from the May 23 incident. The court ordered him to have no contact with the woman, pay restitution, attend counseling and remain under supervision for one year, according to the report.
The video has not been made public. Lawyers representing the woman filed a motion last month seeking to have the evidence sealed, the report said. Jacobs’ lawsuit now also asks the police department to keep the material from public disclosure.
The National Football League is seeking the video for its own investigation, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, as cited by the source. Jacobs remains on the Commissioner’s Exempt List while the league reviews the matter under its personal conduct policy. The report says there is no timeline for the NFL to decide on any discipline, and time on the list would count toward a suspension.
The league’s baseline penalty for a first domestic violence offense is a six-game suspension without pay, according to the supplied report. It says the penalty could be increased based on factors such as weapon involvement or repeated striking. The report does not state that the league has determined whether those factors apply to Jacobs’ case or announced a suspension.
