49ers DE Charles Omenihu arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, will play Sunday
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Charles Omenihu was arrested on Monday afternoon on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence, the San Jose Police Department announced in a media release.
Omenihu, 25, was arrested in San Jose after police were called to a home to investigate a domestic violence report. When they arrived, Omenihu's girlfriend, whose name is being withheld, alleged that Omenihu had pushed her to the ground during an argument. According to the police, she complained of pain in her arm, but declined to seek medical treatment, and the officers claim to have seen no visible injuries.
Omenihu cooperated with police, and gave a statement (which has not been released) to the officers. In addition to being arrested, he was served with an emergency protection order, requiring him to stay away from his girlfriend. After he was booked, he posted bail and left police custody.
At this point, Omenihu has not been charged with a crime. It's possible he will be in the near future, but that decision now rests in the hands of the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
The Niners are traveling to play the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game on Sunday. The team originally released a statement saying it was in the "information gathering" phase.
Statement from the #49ers:
“We are aware of the matter involving Charles Omenihu and are in the process of gathering further information."— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) January 24, 2023
Head coach Kyle Shanahan offered a more definitive statement on the team's plans Wednesday, saying Omenihu will play Sunday if healthy. And that the team will not part ways with Omenihu at the moment.
#49ers Kyle Shanahan on Charles Omenihu:
We’re letting the legal process take care of itself, so if he’s healthy, he’ll play this week.
We’ve looked into it the last 48 hours, not only himself but other people. We don’t feel we should kick him off our team at this time.— Cam Inman (@CamInman) January 25, 2023