The misdemeanor battery charge brought against Kansas Jayhawks forward Carlton Bragg Jr. has been dismissed, Douglas County prosecutors announced today. In the same press release, they said a battery charge was being filed against Bragg’s girlfriend.
When the charge was brought against Bragg on Friday, the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office said in its press release that Lawrence police had responded to a 911 caller who said “her boyfriend had struck her and pushed her down stairs during an argument.” Bragg was booked into the Douglas County jail on suspicion of domestic battery and later charged with misdemeanor battery. His girlfriend, Saleeha Soofi, was also booked later on that day on suspicion of battery but released from jail without charges.
At the time, prosecutors and police gave few details of the investigation. Prosecutors did in today’s press release. They said that when officers arrived at the location in the 1000 block of Emery Road, Soofi told them she got in an argument with Bragg near a stairwell and, during the argument, Bragg punched her and shoved her down the stairs. Bragg, in his interview, told police that he was in an argument with Soofi but denied hitting her.
Pictures were taken of an injury to Soofi’s elbow and Bragg was arrested “consistent with Lawrence Police Department policy,” the press release said. Prosecutors filed the charge against Bragg after reviewing the 911 call, police reports, photos, and the statement recorded by an in-car camera given by Soofi.
Soofi’s account changed when she was interviewed again later that day, when she told officers that she “may have struck Bragg first during the argument,” the press release said. That was when police arrested her for suspicion of battery. Here is what followed, according to prosecutors.
Lawrence Police Department detectives became aware that a surveillance video possibly existed and returned to the scene on Saturday, December 10, 2016 and recovered a video. Review of the surveillance video depicted a male and female in the stairwell of the building engaged in an argument. The video depicts a female shoving and slapping the male in the chest numerous times and placing her hands near the neck of the male on at least two occasions. After being struck by female, the male forcefully shoves her away from him causing the female to fall backwards up the ascending stairs behind her.
Prosecutors made the announcement after Bragg’s lawyer filed a motion in court asking for the charge to be dropped, the Kansas City Star reported, saying that Bragg had acted in self-defense.
The full press release is below.