Mark Snyder

Detroit Free Press

Former Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis' girlfriend accuses him of dragging her across the floor and putting his hands on her neck, according to a police report of the March 15 incident. But he told investigators that he did not assault her.

Lewis, 21, a departing senior who is expected to be picked in next month's NFL draft, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence at his March 16 arraignment in 15th District Court in Ann Arbor.

The Ann Arbor Police Department report, obtained by the Free Press through a Freedom of Information Act request, includes the initial statement from the woman and a follow-up statement from Lewis.

At 1:10 a.m. March 15, the 20-year-old woman, Lewis’ girlfriend of three years, called 9-1-1. She was crying and not answering questions on the phone, so two officers were sent to the home.

Lewis was not there, but the woman told police they had gotten into an argument about the lights being on when she arrived home and about bills. She said Lewis threw pillows at her and shut himself in a closet. She said she went to check on whether he was damaging the closet, and he came out.

The woman told the officers she didn't know how she ended up on the ground but said Lewis dragged her across the living room floor and then grabbed her by the neck and held her down on the floor for about three seconds. He then left the home.

The officers reported that they did not see any visible marks on her neck.

Read more:

Jourdan Lewis pleads not guilty to domestic violence

The officers said they contacted Lewis by phone and met with him at another spot in Ann Arbor. Though he was not arrested, he gave them a statement while sitting in a police car.

Lewis confirmed details about the dispute centering around him leaving a light on and that he threw the pillows and went into the closet to get dressed to leave.

He contended in his statement that she was trying to prevent him from leaving the home and held on to him, wrapping her arms and legs around him to keep him there to obtain an apology.

When asked whether he put his hands around her throat, he responded that “he may have grabbed it while trying to get her off him but had no intentions to hurt (the woman). Lewis stated at no time was he trying to assault (the woman), he was trying to leave.”

He was taken to the police station, fingerprinted, handcuffed and released.

In a follow-up interview with police, the woman admitted "she had grabbed his legs, but only one time, in the closet," according to police reports. She also said she had struck or pushed Lewis in the chest, and that he had been blocking the door to the closet for a short time, preventing her from getting in. She claimed she had not been trying to stop Lewis from leaving when he grabbed her throat.

On March 17, the woman went to the police department to get scratches on her nose and one near her thumb photographed, police reports show.

Lewis was released on personal recognizance bond following his arraignment and told by Magistrate Tamara Garwood not to have contact with the woman.

Lewis' next scheduled court appearance is at 9 a.m. April 12, before Judge Elizabeth Pollard Hines.

Lewis has not returned a Free Press request for comment. His only public statement came on Twitter when he wrote on March 15: "It's sad that somebody would want to control you so bad they would ruin your life over it."

He was scheduled to attend an autograph signing at the M Den on Saturday in Ann Arbor but did not.

A two-time All-America cornerback for the Wolverines, Lewis is preparing for the NFL draft and scheduled to attend Michigan’s pro day workout Friday at the Glick Family Field House. Many NFL teams are expected to attend.

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Contact Mark Snyder: msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark__snyder.

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