US: Gay former American football player charged with assaulting ex-boyfriend
A retired American football player has been charged with felony domestic violence and assault charges involving a former boyfriend.
Kwame Harris played for the San Francisco 49ers until 2007 and the charges relate to an incident outside a restaurant in August of last year between Harris, 30, and Dimitri Geier, who suffered several facial fractures that required surgery.
Following a pretrial hearing in the case on Monday, a judge in San Mateo County, San Francisco, set a late April trial date for Harris.
Although a handful of former NFL players have come out as gay, none has while still playing professionally.
“He is a very private person. He doesn’t like to talk about his personal life,” Defence lawyer Alin Cintean said, according to the Associated Press.
Prosecutors are pursuing the domestic violence charge because the two men used to live together and had an on-again, off-again romantic relationship.
Harris has pleaded not guilty and posted $75,000 (£47,530) bail after his arrest.
