1:17pm: The newer arrest warrant reveals Cooper confirming one of his girlfriend’s allegations, indicating (h/t Klis) he “grabbed her neck” while trying to retrieve his phone. In an incident last week that saw both Cooper and his girlfriend receive charges, Cooper said “I really wasn’t squeezing; it was more to keep her at bay while I’m trying to rip (his) cellphone away from her.” He did say he was “aggressive” in the effort to do so.
The judge in this case increased a protective order against Cooper. He and his girlfriend must stay 50 feet away from each other, with the exception of a church both attend, Klis adds. Cooper will be forced to sign a protection order to facilitate his release from jail, according to the Denver Post’s Luca Evans, who adds the judge ordered “no new offenses while on bond.” The sixth-year outside linebacker will need prior court approval to leave Colorado. A motions hearing in this case is set for July 14, Klis adds.
Responding to the new charges, Cooper’s attorney said (via Klis) he was “surprised by the DA’s decision to upcharge Mr. Cooper. The police had a full, thorough and complete investigation and determined there was not probable cause for these new charges. Notwithstanding that fact, without further investigation the DA increased the charges even though the police didn’t find supporting evidence.”
9:01am: Jonathon Cooper has been arrested once more. The Broncos edge rusher is now back in Douglas County jail, as detailed by 9News’ Mike Klis.
Cooper was arrested and then booked at 10:07pm Thursday night. Per an earlier 9News report, court documents showed an additional two charges being laid in this case: second-degree assault by strangulation along with third-degree assault – knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury. As Klis notes, however, Cooper has now also been charged with harassment and with violating a protective order which was issued in the aftermath of his initial arrest. He is due to appear in court today.
“We are disappointed to learn of Jonathon Cooper’s arrest on Thursday and continue to review this matter,” a statement from the Broncos reads (h/t Klis).
An alleged incident involving Cooper and his girlfriend on June 4 resulted in both parties being arrested and facing misdemeanor domestic violence and criminal mischief charges. The second-degree assault charge Cooper now faces is a felony. According to Klis, the officers who arrived on scene decided “there was no probable cause for assault charges” based on the conflicting statements which were given and a lack of physical evidence.
The new charges come after Cooper’s girlfriend gave an account which recalled the confrontation over Cooper’s phone and subsequent events. She alleges Cooper “grabbed [her] by her neck with one hand and lifted her feet off the ground and up against the wall” and kept her there for approximately one minute. It was at that point, per her statement, that Cooper grabbed his phone back. The girlfriend alleges Cooper then “proceeded to pick her up and throw her back on the ground approximately three times” while also punching a wall next to her face.
On Monday, Cooper entered a not guilty plea to the three charges he was facing at the time. The 28-year-old also took to Instagram to apologize for his actions. “This situation is not who I am,” the post reads in part. Cooper has been with the Broncos since 2021, and he has served as a full-time starter for the past three seasons. His extension runs through the 2028 campaign and includes $12MM in scheduled compensation for the coming year.
A trial is set to begin on July 22. As is standard practice with domestic violence cases, an investigation by the NFL in advance of any potential supplemental discipline under the personal conduct policy will wait until the legal proceedings have run their course.
