JANUARY 25: Kyle Shanahan said Omenihu is on track to play against the Eagles on Sunday, noting the team will let the legal process play out. While the optics here are not great, teams do not generally make a habit of suspending players. The NFL will review the Omenihu incident, and if a suspension is to come, it likely will affect Omenihu’s availability next season.
JANUARY 24: San Jose police arrested 49ers defensive end Charles Omenihu on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge Monday afternoon, according to the San Jose Mercury News’ Robert Salonga.
A woman told police her boyfriend, Omenihu, pushed her to the ground during an argument Monday, Police booked the 25-year-old defender into the Santa Clara County Main Jail, but he has since posted bail. The 49ers announced they are gathering further information about the incident.
Officers “did not observe any visible physical injuries,” Salonga adds, and the woman, despite mentioning pain in her arm, did not seek medical attention. The woman requested an emergency protective order, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle adds, and Omenihu must stay away from her while it is in effect.
The arrest could produce a future suspension for Omenihu under the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and although the 49ers are not obligated to suspend the rotational edge defender, Monday’s incident clouds his availability for the NFC championship game.
The 49ers acquired Omenihu ahead of the 2021 trade deadline, sending a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Texans for the former fifth-round draftee. The former Texas Longhorn has played a steady role off the bench for San Francisco, totaling 4.5 sacks this season. Omenihu, who left the 49ers’ divisional playoff game early with an oblique injury, notched two sacks in the team’s wild-card win over the Seahawks and finished with 1.5 in last year’s wild-card victory in Dallas. Omenihu returned to the 49ers’ Sunday win over the Cowboys, and prior to the arrest report, Kyle Shanahan expected him to play against the Eagles.
Evidence of a crime are pretty thin here. I thought we lived under common law, innocent until proven guilty. When did continental (Napoleonic) law take over in the USA, guilty until you can prove your innocence?
Based on the evidence above, it would be ridiculous if Omenihu is unable to play in the rest of the 49ers playoff run, which probably includes a Super Bowl win at this point. Omenihu may be the difference maker in the defense being too tired in the fourth quarter to effectively rush the passer.
“Probably”, eh?
As a niners fan I’d say they’re the third most likely
This is just a dumb take. People have been arrested and put in cells prior to posting bail for years. Nothing has changed there. If he was found guilty, he wouldn’t have been released on bail. Would you rather murderers just roam the streets because you didn’t yet have a chance to prove their guilty in court?
@Moneyball….In your 3rd sentence, you seem to be conflating arrest and arraignment with a trial.
“innocent until proven guilty.”
Why do people always bring this up? It is only applicable in a court of law. Neither the NFL nor public opinion needs to or should abide by it. “Innocent until proven guilty” is 100% irrelevant. I don’t need a potentially fallible court of law to prove someone guilty before forming an opinion and neither does the NFL.
@Alec Kinnear, what’s REALLY pathetic is that no matter if there’s ABSOLUTELY no evidence and he isn’t charged criminally, the NFL can punish him simply for the accusation. Just like baseball with Trevor Bauer; NO criminal charges yet suspended for over 300 games? It’s ridiculous. Not saying Omenihu girl is lying but if she is 100% lying, it won’t matter. Just the fact that she made the claim, he gets into trouble? It’s ludicrous
I mean, I’m with you that the NFL shouldn’t suspend him just to suspend him, but, as a private entity, they can punish him as they see fit. A lack of a conviction doesn’t mean an absence of wrongdoing.
The reason there are different sanctions (which are agreed to by signing a contract) is because with DV it is harder to get people to cooperate because wives/girlfriends/children/elders are so dependent on these men. The money involved is enormous. They are therefore more vulnerable to abuse, and the men have a giant amount of power. WaGs will often decide not to press charges or seek help because things calm down, they feel less scared, their men apologize and say they won’t do it again i love you yadda yadda …especially if there are children in the relationship. But just because WaGs won’t cooperate with legal system doesn’t mean that nothing is wrong or nothing bad happened or no crime was committed.
major league sports don’t want their players to commit domestic violence, and they are operating within a contractual agreement to maintain cultural standards that have a different set of criteria for discernment and judgement than the legal system. If they don’t want to be held to a higher standard than the legal system and want the freedom to beat up on WaGs and children, then don’t sign the contract.
This is the same with DV whether or not the money is at stake sadly
Elevating corporations above the law. Both myaccount2 and xtraflamery willingly allow and encourage modern slavery. Companies should have no right to punish anyone based on hearsay.
I’m not even sure about the standing of these corporate tribunals, although at least there’s a pretense of following due process. If the public courts consider a man or woman innocent, it’s extremely strange that a company should be able to privatise the law to convict him or her.
You can thank Big Ben for that. it’s been that way ever since his situation and he just rolled over on it and didn’t fight.
“Napoleonic” law isn’t in effect here. Has he been convicted? No. “Innocent until proven guilty” pertains to law, not judgements by people whose opinions have no bearing on his legal case.
OP is just a dude out here ready with a bunch of excuses because a player on his favorite team was accused. If the player accused was an Eagles player, he’d be singing a different tune.
Not a 49ers fan. Fan of the rule of law. There is not even any supporting evidence in this case. The entire case is based on one person’s statement. He says/she says.
True, but 12 of those people may be called on to determine guilt, or lack thereof, and it does seem to be getting harder and harder in today’s social media driven society to find unbiased people. People tend to take a stance as soon as they see the Twitter blurb. “Innocent until proven guilty” no longer seems to be the average American’s baseline stance. The same average American who may one day serve on a jury of one of today’s commenters. If it’s ever me, I hope 12 of you are open minded enough to hear my case and haven’t made your decision based on some Twitter post.
Luckily, they weed people out and those selected have an entire criminal case to listen to for weeks.
Wow, posted within a minute of the Clevinger story on MLBTR. Spooky.
This story broke like 4 hours ago. NFL trade rumors, as usual, isn’t on top of things.
Clevinger story is closed, this one is open.
Odd.
I wonder what the difference is…
66 – put it back in the deck douchebag
Ooops, it seems I’ve triggered an incel.
I’d say the difference is the extreme nature of the crime. Clevinger would be looking at felonies if there’s enough evidence to prosecute; Omenihu is facing a misdemeanor that seems unlikely to result in anything major.
BOTH comments sections should remain open. Why are people so sensitive to listen to others opinions…..?
I don’t know but I’d say pointless to air this grievance since the site users voted to close the comments for COVID-related and DV-related posts. There are plenty of other forums that don’t restrict commenting.
It’s smart of the TR sites to listen to the majority of their user-base.
This is NOT how Texas Longhorns should behave.
If true, he has brought dishonor
to the hoof…..
COMMENTS OPEN……. So be careful
Be careful of me?!?!
Social media reports you may be dangerous and we should steer clear of you. Report all sightings to the PC police.
Bruhhhhh! My arch rival
If they cut him another team will sign him so why not just keep him
Not a 49ers fan but this is weak. Pathetic actually. Partners will fight. It is what it is.
Not an 88 fan, but I envision you sitting in your easy chair, wearing a wife beater, drinking a Budweiser, and bitching to your wife to make your dinner. You are pathetic. Congratulations.
You assume 88’s sexual preference. And beer preference. You sure it’s not Bud Lite?
The NFL doesn’t need findings by the justice system to suspend players. They should keep him off the field until the matter is settled.