BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE CLOSE ALLEGED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INVESTIGATION INTO RAVENS WR ZAY FLOWERS WITHOUT CHARGES
Baltimore County Police officially closed the investigation into Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers on Tuesday without charges, as first reported by The Baltimore Banner’s Justin Fenton.
Flowers, the Ravens’ outstanding rookie wide receiver who had a record setting rookie season for the organization, was linked to an alleged domestic violence incident last month involving a young woman from Massachusetts.
According to the Acton Police Department in Massachusetts, a young woman made a report several weeks prior regarding a “violent domestic incident” involving an NFL player in Owings Mills, Maryland. The woman told police that the suspect’s brother drew a firearm, according to police records released on February 20th, but declined to identify the NFL player or seek further action from law enforcement.
Police said that she instead asked what would happen if she filed a report. The woman referred to the incident, saying, “It was a really bad ten minutes.” She, however, told Acton Police that she “hasn’t been scared since” and that the NFL player has too much to lose, saying “he is too smart to do something like that.”
A report from Baltimore earlier this month suspected that police in both Acton and Baltimore County were investigating an allegation of domestic violence involving Zay Flowers. Both police departments declined to comment at the time but Baltimore County Police said last week that any statement that confirms the Ravens’ first-round wide receiver as a suspect was inaccurate.
Since the woman declined to file a police report or identify the NFL player, Baltimore police were only able to connect her to Flowers through social media. Officers contacted the suspect’s attorney, but the attorney said his client would not be available for an interview. They also called a Ravens vice president of security. He, however, was out of town and they were informed that he would call back when he returned.
According to the Baltimore Banner, a Ravens spokesperson referred them to an earlier statement released by the team in which the Ravens declined comment. “We take these matters seriously and will have no further comment at this time,” the spokesperson said. He also added that the NFL continues “to monitor all developments” in the case.
The incident in question took place on January 16th, just four days before the Ravens hosted the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs. The Acton Police Department said that the woman showed up on January 21st, a day after the Ravens game and five days after the incident.
“She stated that she was physically assaulted which left her with multiple bruises,” the report by Acton Police read. “[She also] stated that she was very hesitant to give much information due to the high profile status of the other party involved. I asked what she meant by ‘high profile’ and she stated that he is an NFL player.”
Not only did the woman decline providing the suspect’s name, but she also declined providing an address. She, however, told officers that she had been living with her boyfriend in a townhouse outside Baltimore when the scene became violent and the suspect trashed her belongings. The woman had called 911 amidst tears but ended up telling the communications officer that she was okay and hung up.
Baltimore County released a 911 call in which a dispatch officer can be heard asking a woman if she has an emergency or needs help. “No, that’s ok, thank you,” said the woman before hanging up.
Baltimore Police sent two marked police cars to a building in Owings Mills, where the two cars sat outside in the parking lot for roughly two hours. Police geolocated the 911 distress call to the house next door to Flowers’ Owings Mills home. The woman was called back by Baltimore County Police but she did not pick up.
Acton Police said the woman told them she was glad the police cars arrived “because the brother got scared, left the room, [and] put the gun away.” She said that was “what really made it stop.” She told Acton Police that she had photographs of her bruises but she did not share them. Her father confirmed the bruises. She also said she did not seek medical treatment.
The report also notes that an Acton Police officer can be heard on body-camera footage saying there were injuries. According to Acton Police, the woman looked at her cellphone at some point during the interview, and informed the police officers that she was getting a call from the suspect’s agent. She did not answer the call.
Police provided the woman with a form to seek a protective order and advised her of her legal options. One officer said that “he understands that this is a high-profile person, but it does not set precedent over her safety.”
“She stated, [however], that she was not currently in fear and felt safe at home,” officers wrote.
Baltimore County Police contacted the woman and her father but noted that there were “no further issues,” nor did she disclose any additional information about the incident. She still had not identified the suspect. With any additional information, they confirmed that they have now suspended the investigation.
Baltimore County Police released the records on Tuesday as the matter is now officially closed, as per the Maryland Public Information Act.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
Photo: Matthew Binebrink. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.