July 10, 2018
Editor's note: Some readers may find disturbing a photo with a Tweet that accompanies this story.
Former Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy on Tuesday emphatically denied gruesome allegations of domestic violence and drug use that surfaced in an Instagram post from a woman who claims to be the best friend of his ex-girlfriend.
The friend, identified in the social media post as Mia, shared a photo of a woman with a bloodied and bruised face. There was no indication of where the alleged incident occurred based on the original post, which has since been deleted. McCoy, who turns 30 this week, now plays for the Buffalo Bills.
The post also alleges that McCoy, famously nicknamed "Shady," violently attacked a dog, used steroids and abused children.
Within hours of the Instagram post, McCoy responded with a brief statement calling the allegations "totally baseless" and false. He said he's had no contact with either of the women in months.
NFL player Lesean McCoy allegedly beat up His girlfriend Delicia pic.twitter.com/tK8PIBpqaN
— BallerAlert (@balleralert) July 10, 2018
Audio from an emergency call obtained by TMZ references a request for police after a woman was assaulted in Alpharetta, Georgia, where the site reports McCoy owns a home. An earlier TMZ report cited court documents detailing a legal dispute between McCoy and the victim over her residency at the property.
NFL Network's Mike Garfolo later produced a preliminary report from the Milton Police Department, which stated that a targeted home invasion occurred at the residence. A lone intruder demanded specific items from the victim, police said.
From Milton (GA) police on the incident that led to allegations via Instagram (the post is now deleted) against LeSean McCoy, who was training in Miami early this morning. pic.twitter.com/MUiqry8kzg
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 10, 2018
McCoy, who spent six seasons in Philadelphia, has faced numerous allegations of disturbing conduct during his career.
Most notably, the All-Pro running back was implicated in a 2016 brawl at Recess Lounge in Old City, an incident that resulted in serious injuries to two off-duty Philadelphia police officers.
Former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams declined to press charges against McCoy, angering the local police union and raising questions about whether his celebrity status shielded him from prosecution. He and his friends were later sued by the police officers.
In another reported incident in 2013, McCoy was accused of stranding a woman at a service area on the New Jersey Turnpike after a disagreement broke out on a private party bus. The woman, who reportedly filed a civil lawsuit, said McCoy had his bodyguard physically strike her because she complained about him spraying water on her and other travelers.
McCoy was also widely criticized for advertising another private, "females only" party in Philadelphia, where attendees were required to sign a confidentiality agreement and refrain from using social media at the event. McCoy ultimately canceled the party.
Other incidents include the tipping controversy at the former PYT burger restaurant in Northern Liberties, where McCoy left a server 20 cents because he was unhappy with the service. He also got into a heated Twitter feud with the mother of his lone child in 2013, exposing extremely personal attacks and unsavory claims on both sides.
The NFL has increasingly moved to take a disciplinary hard line on domestic violence, instituting a mandatory six-game suspension in the wake of strong condemnation of its handling of the Ray Rice incident in 2014.
Rice, a former Baltimore Ravens running back, was initially suspended for two games after surveillance video captured him punching his eventual wife and dragging her apparently unconscious out of an elevator at an Atlantic City hotel. The NFL later suspended him indefinitely, the Ravens released him and he never returned to an NFL roster after his reinstatement.
As more recent legal battles with Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot and other NFL players have shown, the league has not often enforced the stringent penalties laid out in its revised personal conduct policy.
Allegations facing McCoy come in the context of a broader cultural uprising against domestic violence and sexual misconduct, a movement that has publicly exposed dozens of high profile figures in the world of entertainment and media.
"We have spoken to LeSean McCoy and have been in contact with the National Football League," the Buffalo Bill's said in a statement on Twitter. "We will continue to gather information."
The NFL has yet to release any statement regarding the allegations against McCoy as of Tuesday evening.
