Former FSU, NFL player Deon Humphrey accused of choking girlfriend

Deputies say ex-linebacker grabbed girlfriend by neck during argument at South Fla. home

Former Florida State and NFL linebacker Deon Humphrey is accused of choking his girlfriend during a domestic dispute.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. ā€“ A former NFL and Florida State University football player was arrested early Thursday morning after he tried to strangle his girlfriend during an argument at their South Florida home, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Deon Humphrey, 38, was arrested in Wellington on a charge of domestic battery by strangulation.

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According to the probable cause affidavit, Humphrey was waiting outside their home when deputies arrived. Humphrey claimed he and girlfriend had gotten into an argument.

Deputies said they saw redness on his girlfriend's neck and bleeding from her ear consistent with being grabbed by the neck.

She told deputies Humphrey grabbed her, shoved her against the wall and started choking her to the point that she couldn't breathe for several seconds.

The arresting deputy claimed to find indentations on the walls in the living room and "long strands of black hair in the plaster," the report stated.

Humphrey told deputies he "pushed her away during an argument" and that "her elbow may have struck the wall, causing the damage," the report added.

Humphrey, who attended high school in Lake Worth, played linebacker for the Seminoles from 1994-98. He played for the Carolina Panthers, San Diego Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars during his three-year NFL career.