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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
The woman involved in an altercation that led to the arrest and suspension of Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young last month has retracted her statement to police and requested that all criminal charges against him be dropped, according to an affidavit provided to ESPN by Young’s attorney on Wednesday.
Young was arrested on Oct. 8 on misdemeanor charges of battery and assault of an unborn child, according to Athens-Clarke County Jail records.
According to an Athens-Clarke County Police incident report obtained by ESPN, a 20-year-old woman, who described herself as Young’s ex-girlfriend, told police that she went to his apartment to discuss their relationship.
When the conversation became heated after she discovered he was on the phone with another woman, the complainant said Young “grabbed her left arm near her biceps and triceps and physically pulled her out of his room.” The woman said Young was “using derogatory terms and being demeaning of her.” She said Young went back to his room and locked the door.
The woman told police she started to collect her belongings when a friend called her phone. When she answered, the woman told police, “Mr. Young came out and grabbed her from behind. She said that he picked her up and began to squeeze her torso and abdomen very hard. She said she felt like [Young] was trying to harm her.”
The police officer noted in the report that he observed a bruise and discoloration on the bottom of the woman’s chest where it meets the abdomen and redness on her right side. The police officer transported the woman to an Athens hospital for treatment.
In an affidavit released Wednesday by Young’s attorney, Kim Stephens, the woman said the police report was “slanted and does not accurately portray what occurred on Oct. 8.”
“I did go to Colbie’s apartment late at night to talk to him about our relationship and my pregnancy,” the woman said in the affidavit. “Colbie asked me to leave more than once while I was there. I did not leave until I became upset with him and did not think our conversation was productive.
“Colbie did not place his hands on me in any way during the conversation and argument that was inappropriate or unwanted. He did not hit me. He did not push me. He did not cause any bruising or marks on me. He did not injure me in any way.”
According to the affidavit, the woman asked the Athens-Clarke County Solicitor General’s Office to dismiss the charges against Young on Oct. 14. The woman said she made several subsequent requests to prosecutors since then.
“As evident by the affidavit, Colbie Young did not commit any crime in this matter and all charges against him should be dismissed immediately,” Stephens said in a statement to ESPN on Wednesday. “Likewise, because the affidavit fully exonerates Mr. Young, the University of Georgia should allow Mr. Young to return to all team activities including participation in games.”
The solicitor’s office did not immediately respond to ESPN’s request for comment late Wednesday.
Stephens said he provided the woman’s statement to the university and prosecutors.
When reached by ESPN for comment on Wednesday, Georgia athletic department spokesman Steven Drummond reiterated that the case is a legal matter and the school would have no further comment.
Young was suspended from the team by Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart the day after the incident.
“He’s been suspended indefinitely until this legal matter is resolved,” Smart said at the time. “We can’t really comment any further on the specifics of it, but I had a good meeting with him this morning. We’re committed to continuing to educate our players and do the best job we can of making sure they understand the serious nature of these incidents.
“It’s very unfortunate, but we want to be responsible in decision-making on and off the field. This is obviously a really tough situation.”
Young, who played two seasons at Miami before joining the Bulldogs, had 11 catches for 149 yards with two touchdowns in the first five games. He has missed the team’s past three contests.
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