Woman asks that battery, assault charges be dropped against Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young
ATHENS, Ga. - The pregnant woman involved in an altercation that led to the arrest and suspension of University of Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young is asking officials to drop his criminal charges.
Young, a senior from Binghamton, New York, was arrested by Athens-Clarke County Police after an altercation with the 20-year-old woman, who claimed to be his ex-girlfriend. Georgia coach Kirby Smart suspended Young following the arrest. He was arrested on Oct. 8 on two charges of battery and one charge of assault on an unborn child.
In an affidavit released Thursday to FOX 5 Atlanta, the woman said she wanted "to make clear my desire to have all charges against Colbie Young dismissed." According to Young’s attorney, Kim Stephens, the woman first contacted the Athens-Clarke County Solicitor’s Office on Oct. 14 to request the charges be dropped and has repeated her request "on multiple occasions." The woman made her request public because the charges have not yet been dismissed, Stephens said.
According to the arrest report, officers allege Young grabbed his ex-girlfriend and "squeezed her torso and abdomen very hard" when she tried to leave his apartment after an argument.
The woman told police that she believed Young "was trying to harm her." The responding officer said he saw a bruise and discoloration on the right side of the woman's chest as well as redness on her right flank. The officer took the woman to the hospital for medical attention.
When asked, Young reportedly told the officer that an argument between him and the woman "got heated, and he escorted her to the door," but denied grabbing her.
In the affidavit, the woman retracted her previous statements, clarifying, "I expressly retract any statements attributed to me that imply or state that Colbie Young attempted to cause any injury to my unborn child or me." She further asserted that "Colbie did not place his hands on me in any way during the conversation and argument that was inappropriate or unwanted. He did not hit me. He did not push me. He did not cause any bruising or marks on me. He did not injure me in any way. To be clear, Colbie Young did not commit any act of violence toward me or my unborn child, including but not limited to simple battery, battery, or assault on an unborn child."
Young’s attorney said he has provided the affidavit to both the prosecuting attorney and the University of Georgia, arguing that the charges "should be dismissed immediately" and calling for Young’s suspension to be lifted.
Colbie Young (Athens-Clarke County Police Department)
Following his arrest, UGA Football Coach Kirby Smart suspended Young indefinitely until the legal matter was resolved.
According to the affidavit, the woman said the police report "did not accurately portray what occurred on Oct. 8."
"Colbie did not place his hands on me in any way during the conversation and argument that was inappropriate or unwanted," the woman wrote. "He did not hit me. He did not push me. He did not cause any bruising or marks on me. He did not injure me in any way."
ESPN reports that the woman has asked the Athens-Clarke County Solicitor General's Office to dismiss Young's charges multiple times.
"As evident by the affidavit, Colbie Young did not commit any crime in this matter and all charges against him should be dismissed immediately," Attorney Kim Stephens said in a statement to ESPN. "Likewise, because the affidavit fully exonerates Mr. Young, the University of Georgia should allow Mr. Young to return to all team activities, including participation in games."
A spokesperson for the Georgia athletic department told ESPN that they had no other comment other than that the case was a legal matter.
Young had transferred to Georgia before the beginning of the season from the University of Miami.
The No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs are set to play No. 16 Mississippi on Saturday. Young, who transferred to Georgia from Miami after two seasons, has recorded 11 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns in five games, including two starts. His status with the team remains unchanged pending resolution of the charges.