Giants waive OL Michael Bowie five days after domestic assault charge

ByJordan Raanan ESPN logo
Wednesday, August 23, 2017

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants waived offensive lineman Michael Bowieon Wednesday, five days after he was charged with domestic assault and battery and two counts of malicious injury or destruction of property in Oklahoma.

Bowie has denied making any physical contact with his girlfriend through a statement from his agent.

The NFL is investigating the incident. The Giants left open the possibility of Bowie returning pending the outcome of the situation.

"We have waived Michael Bowie," general manager Jerry Reese said in a statement released by the team. "As we have already stated, we were made aware of this situation on Saturday. The league has started to gather more information. That process will continue. The outcome of that process will determine whether there is another opportunity here for Michael."

Bowie, 25, did not travel with the team for its Monday night game against the Cleveland Browns. He turned himself in Monday, and coach Ben McAdoo said Tuesday that the front office was working through things before making a determination on his status.

Bowie was working primarily as a third-team offensive tackle and was a long shot to make the roster.

Tulsa County assistant district attorney Kenneth Elmore said reports about the incident indicate that a fight occurred between Bowie and his girlfriend over finances, according to the Tulsa World. It then became physical, Elmore said in the article, when she made a remark about his mother.

Elmore told the Tulsa World that Bowie grabbed his girlfriend by the neck during the argument and threw her on the ground, then broke a pair of TVs and punched a hole in the wall.

"We thoroughly investigated this. Michael's girlfriend did not want to press charges, never said there was any physical contact and we don't know why the district attorney is moving forward," Bowie's agent Peter Schaffer told ESPN. "We've been in touch with the Giants and the league. We're obviously going to have to let it play out in the judicial system. Michael's biggest issue is that he feels horrible that he's brought any negative light to the Giants and the NFL. He just wants to focus on trying to make the ballclub."

This is the second straight summer that the Giants have dealt with a domestic violence incident. Kicker Josh Brown was suspended one game last year by the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy and was cut later in the season after admitting to abusing his then-wife.

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