Former Ohio State star, first-round pick Darron Lee arrested for alleged domestic violence incident

Former Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Darron Lee was arrested and is facing multiple charges following an alleged domestic violence incident.

Now 28 years old, Lee is being charged with two counts each of misdemeanor domestic violence and misdemeanor assault. This comes after a female relative called the police for reportedly punching her in the head during an argument.

According to a signed affidavit by Columbus police, the female relative went to Darron Lee to tell him he needed to leave the home because Lee’s girlfriend no longer felt safe around him. At that point, Lee became upset and allegedly grabbed her by the shirt, pushed her into the wall multiple times, and, as court records state, “[The relative] was then thrown to the ground while Mr. Lee kept screaming at her. Mr. Lee then began to strike her head with his fists making contact with her face and back of her head. [The relative] stated that he struck her approximately 8-9 times in the head area with a closed fist.”

The relative was taken to the hospital for treatment for her injuries. She also, reportedly, had a cell phone recording of the initial assault.

Darron Lee is facing charges that stem from two different nights. That includes the one on Monday night as well as an incident that occurred in the same house on October 17, 2022. During that incident, Lee thought that the mother of his child was cheating on him, supposedly leading to an altercation.

“[The woman] was laying on the bed and Darron got on top of her, with his knees making contact with her knees, and his left hand on her neck where it remained for approximately 60 seconds. During this time, [the woman] advised that Darron told her that he would kill her and their child.”

Lee initially said that the relative hit him first, but he later recanted.

About Darron Lee

Darron Lee is from Tennessee, though he moved to Ohio in middle school. In 2013, he began his career at Ohio State, where he played linebacker for the Buckeyes until 2015. From there, Lee was a first round NFL Draft pick in 2016 by the New York Jets.

In 2018, Lee failed a PED test and was subsequently suspended and in 2019 the Jets traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs. Then, in 2020, he was suspended again. In this case, the reason was never made public, though. He later spent time with the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders but is currently a free agent.