Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesAtlanta Falcons defensive tackle Ra'Shede Hageman was charged Monday with "interference with a call for emergency help, battery family violence and cruelty to children in the third degree in March" stemming from an incident with the mother of his child, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“It’s ongoing, so really I can’t really say anything about that,” Hageman said Wednesday, per Ledbetter. “I don’t want to be a distraction for the team. I have to let my lawyers handle that situation.”
Hageman was inactive for the Falcons on Sept. 11, though the team said the reason was that it wanted to "play a lot of nickel defense and elected to activate defensive tackle Courtney Upshaw over Hageman," per Ledbetter.
According to the Sporting News (via Yahoo Sports), Hageman had an arraignment on June 7. The Falcons have reportedly been aware of the matter "for months," and Ledbetter reported that the NFL has been in contact with the organization regarding the matter.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn told reporters during his Monday press conference thaat the team reported the arrest to the league but did not comment further. The NFL later confirmed the league is reviewing Hageman under the personal conduct policy, per Tom Pelissero of USA Today.
Details on the incident itself remain scarce, however.
Hageman was a second-round pick by the Falcons in the 2014 NFL draft and had been active in all 32 games for the team in his career before being scratched Sunday.
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