Reuben Foster charged with felony domestic violence after allegedly rupturing girlfriend's ear drum

Show Caption Hide Caption 49ers' Reuben Foster charged with domestic violence San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster has been charged with three felonies stemming from an incident with his girlfriend in February, according to the Santa Clara County, California District Attorney's Office.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster appeared in a Northern California courtroom Thursday, hours after he was charged with felony domestic violence and three other charges stemming from a February arrest.

A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge set Foster's bail at $75,000 and a plea hearing in the case was delayed until April 30.

Earlier in day, the Santa Clara County Attorney's Office announced in a news release that it had charged Foster. He could face more than 11 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

"We do not care who the perpetrator is, their status in the community or anything of that nature," Kevin Smith, a deputy district attorney, said after the hearing.

Richard Sherman, the all-pro defensive back who signed with the 49ers last month, and 49ers safety Jaquiski Tartt were at the hearing, according to The Sacramento Bee. Foster exited San Jose's Hall of Justice with Sherman and Tartt after the short hearing concluded.

“I’m here to support him," Sherman told reporters. "I’m here to support a teammate.”

Richard Sherman: “I’m here to support him. I’m here to support a teammate.” — David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) April 12, 2018

The district attorney's office said the incident in question involved Foster's live-in girlfriend, who told police that Foster punched her in the head eight to 10 times, dragged her by her hair and physically threw her out of Foster's home in Los Gatos, Calif., on Feb. 11.

The 28-year-old woman flagged down a stranger's car to call police and was left "bruised and with a ruptured ear drum," according to the press release.

"Our focus is on holding accountable those who hurt their intimate partners," deputy district attorney Kevin Smith said in a statement. "Our Office handles between four and five thousand domestic violence cases each year. We only hope that this case illuminates the tragic regularity of the rest."

The district attorney's office also said the officers who responded at Foster's home found a Sig Sauer 516 assault rifle and large-capacity magazine, which are both illegal to possess in the state.

As a result, the 2017 first-round draft pick also has been charged with felony counts of forcefully attempting to prevent a victim from reporting a crime and possession of an assault weapon, as well as misdemeanor possession of a large capacity weapon magazine, according to the release.

“The 49ers organization is aware of today’s disturbing charges regarding Reuben Foster," the team said in a statement. "We will continue to follow this serious matter. Reuben is aware that his place in our organization is under great scrutiny and will depend on what is learned through the legal process.”

Reuben Foster's attorney, Josh Bentley, said "we are most anxious to have all of the facts come out, and that will happen in the courtroom, not in the media." Said he and Foster won't take questions after today's arraignment. — Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) April 12, 2018

"We continue to monitor all developments in this matter, which is under review of the personal conduct policy," NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told USA TODAY Sports in a statement.

Foster made 10 starts for the 49ers last year, recording 72 tackles in his rookie season. He slipped to No. 31 overall in the NFL draft after being sent home from the scouting combine for arguing with a hospital worker, then later revealing that he had failed a drug test because he provided a diluted urine sample.

Foster, who turned 24 earlier this month, also was arrested in Alabama earlier this off-season on suspicion of marijuana possession.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad. Follow Perez on Twitter @byajperez