NBA Center Jaxson Haye​s Charged With Assaulting LAPD Officer

LOS ANGELES, CA —The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office charged New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes with a dozen counts Monday including domestic violence and resisting arrest stemming from an altercation at his Woodland Hills home in July. The altercation was captured on video seen widely across social media. Police repeatedly tasered the 21-year-old athlete before arresting him.

Hayes was charged with multiple misdemeanor counts of domestic violence, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer, vandalism, trespassing, and resisting arrest.

“We’re pleased that the City Attorney evaluated the evidence and charged Jaxson Hayes for assaulting an LAPD officer, domestic violence, and ten additional crimes. It’s disappointing that the NBA has remained silent on Mr. Hayes’ behavior despite the video evidence and its stated zero-tolerance policy on domestic violence,” the Los Angeles Police Protective League said in a statement issued Monday, according to the Los Angeles Times. “There are fundamental values at play in this incident that Mr. Hayes, George Gascón, and the NBA should recognize, it must never be acceptable to engage in domestic violence or attack police officers.”

Video of the arrest, which showed officers tasering Hayes and kneeling up his chest prompted outcry, and the Los Angeles Police Department released a critical incident including audio recording of the 911 call and police bodycam video of the arrest.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore announced an investigation into the use of force involving Hayes shortly after his arrest. According to Moore, the investigation examined the use of force applied to Hayes' neck after investigators discovered that Hayes made a complaint that "he could not breathe, that there was a constraint or restriction on his neck"

According to the video, a cousin of Hayes' girlfriend called police and told a dispatcher the woman sent text messages claiming Hayes was "getting loud and violent and she's scared and can't call the police herself."

Police responded about 3 a.m. July 28 to the 22000 block of Mariano Street, where body cam video shows the 21-year-old Hayes and another man in front of the house.

Hayes told officers he and his girlfriend "were just having a little argument. She was throwing some stuff at me."

Officers are shown repeatedly ordering Hayes to remain outside while they talk to the woman inside. He demanded to know whether they had a warrant to enter his house and they told him they didn't need one. "You're not gonna kick me out of my house, bro," Hayes told the officers as the man who was outside with him repeatedly asked Hayes to relax.

Hayes is shown trying to get into his house as officers begin to restrain him. As he continues to resist being handcuffed, the officers warn that they will use a Taser him.

Hayes told the officers three times "I can't breathe," when one officer had a knee near his neck. A different officer ordered that officer to "Get your knee up," and the kneeing officer complied.

Hayes was Tased once on his chest and once on his buttocks, the video shows, and handcuffs were eventually applied and officers helped Hayes from the ground and into a chair.

Before being booked, Hayes received medical treatment at a hospital for injuries suffered during the altercation and was medically cleared for booking at the Van Nuys Jail, police said.

He was released on $25,000 bond, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

A separate body cam video from a sergeant at the scene shows Hayes shoving an officer into a wall as that officer tries to handcuff him early in the altercation. The officer reportedly suffered an elbow injury and was treated at a hospital.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.