A University of Utah football player was recently dismissed from the team for allegedly assaulting his wife in front of their 2 year-old child. Defensive lineman, Koliniasi “Niasi” Leota (24) was charged February 22nd with aggravated assault, domestic violence in presence of a child, kidnapping and four other misdemeanor domestic violence charges.

According to the court documents, Leota punched his wife in the face, hit her in the head with a curling iron and tried to stab her with the broken end of the bathroom towel rod that he had ripped out of the wall. Prosecutors claimed in addition to the hitting and stabbing, Leota wrapped the curling iron cord around his wife’s neck and tried to choke her. He then tried to electrocute her by filling the bathtub with water and tossing the curling iron into it.

His wife alleged when she tried to leave their apartment he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back into the home. He continued the assault her with their 2 year-old child present.

The court documents claimed, Leota’s wife escaped the abuse by locking herself in the car until their friends and the couple’s two older children (3 and 4-years-old) arrived at the scene.

Utah’s head football coach, Kyle Whittingham, was quoted on the issue saying, “We will do everything we can to help Niasi and his family get through this situation, but obviously we do not tolerate this kind of behavior.”

Niasi is the second Ute football player to be dismissed this year. Afa Bridenstine was dismissed for an assault charge that happened before a game earlier this year.