Denver Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper has been arrested for the second time in about a week amid a contentious situation with his long-time girlfriend.
The four new charges listed against Cooper include counts of domestic violence, harassment for repeated telephone calls and a violation of a civil protection order. The 28-year-old is due back in court on Friday morning in Douglas County, Colorado.
Cooper and his girlfriend of four years were jailed in the early hours of June 5 on domestic violence charges. A protection order was then placed on Cooper, barring him from having any contact with his girlfriend, identified by police as Jade Fiegen.
Last week, Cooper was initially held on suspicion of two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief, according to Douglas County jail records.
The 28-year-old girlfriend Fiegen was also booked for domestic violence after what the police report described as a physical altercation over allegations of infidelity against Cooper.
Fiegen claims Cooper picked her up and threw her to the floor three separate times and punched the wall next to her face. Officers say they observed minor injuries, including a mark on her neck and a cut on her hand. At one point, she added, Cooper bit her phone, causing ‘disabling damage’ to the device.
Denver Broncos star Jonathon Cooper was arrested on two counts of domestic violence
Cooper is key to the Broncos’ defense and played every single game in the last three seasons
According to the arrest affidavit seen by The Daily Mail, the couple was arguing inside his apartment after she accused him of cheating.
Cooper’s girlfriend said she took his phone, threw it across the room and then went to retrieve to find proof of his infidelity.
Cooper told police he grabbed his girlfriend by her upper arms and eventually managed to get his phone back from her. When she tried again to grab his phone, Cooper told officers he braced his neck against hers to stop her from reaching it.
After the physical struggle had ended, Cooper told officers he went over to the couch and picked up Jade’s phone. He told her if she didn’t leave the apartment, he was going to break her phone.
Cooper further claimed Jade didn’t leave and admitted to biting her phone. Police officers reported the device had a ‘cracked screen.’
Both the team and the league have released statements acknowledging his initial arrest, while refraining from further comment.
Cooper was selected by the Broncos in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. Now he’s an indispensable piece of the Broncos’ defense, having played every single game over the last three seasons while recording 27 sacks.
Last season, Cooper helped the Broncos reach the AFC Championship game, where they fell to the New England Patriots.
He signed a four-year contract extension in 2024 worth up to $60 million. The deal includes $33m in guarantees.
