NFL Star escapes two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery after accepting to plead no contest to a lesser charge
By Ed Emeanua with reports from various sources
Nigerian communities across the nation must have felt a sense of reprieve after Charles Omenihu’s plea deal led prosecutors to dismiss two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery against the very troubled Nigerian-born Kansas City defensive end.
Nigerians in USA have been under trepidation of likely blowback to their community over the player’s alleged appalling conducts that led to his arrest by the San Jose Police. The Chief’s DE is the son of Sunday and Regina Omenihu who are Nigerian natives.
According to Jerry McDonald of the San Jose Mercury News, the Kansas City defensive end Omenihu received a six-game suspension three weeks ago, under the NFL’s personal conduct policy for a domestic violence arrest in San Jose early this year while still playing for the 49ers.
| Name | Charles Omenihu |
| Real Name | Unknown |
| Date of Birth | August 20, 1997 |
| Age | 26 -years -old |
| Birthplace | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Height | 6 feet 5 inches |
| Weight | 127 kg |
Omenihu, 25, was arrested by San Jose police in January and charged with two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery and a misdemeanor count of illegally destroying, removing or obstructing the use of a wireless communication device.
The criminal case was resolved when Omenihu reached an agreement with prosecutors in which the battery counts were dismissed after he pleaded no contest to the third charge, completed community service, and underwent 32 hours of counseling, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
After his arrest, a San Jose police investigation determined that Omenihu’s girlfriend called 911 from his Santana Row apartment to report that he was trying to “beat her.” About 30 minutes before that call, police said Omenihu got angry at his girlfriend after searching her phone and finding “a message that upset him on the victim’s Instagram account,” followed by him repeatedly yelling at her and spitting in her face.
Wash . Rinse . Repeat. Another 49er charged with DV @FredJoh57935135 can’t you just hear the @SJPD_PIO @SCCoSheriff trying to double down on the cover up without @SCSCourt Judge Towery and his wife covering it up as they have for a decade? #CharlesOmenihu pic.twitter.com/mKu2qiF5co
— Cameras on Courthouses (@SusanBassi) January 25, 2023
Already being handled in house. No charges filed yet. Victim is now just a potential witness 2 alleged crime which they have no intention of filing charges or following thru w holding 2 answer. She is likely confused, overwhelmed, being harassed, intimidated & groomed 4 silence.
— Fred(a) #BelieveHerThe1stTime (@FredJoh57935135) January 25, 2023
Bet ya Josh Bentley is bending that ear while 49er manager is running that “you don’t want to ruin his career do you” drag to the victim/witness!
— Fred(a) #BelieveHerThe1stTime (@FredJoh57935135) January 25, 2023
Let us not forget who contributes big bank to major political candidates and agendas.
— Fred(a) #BelieveHerThe1stTime (@FredJoh57935135) January 25, 2023
Police wrote in an investigative summary submitted to prosecutors that Omenihu told the woman to leave his home, and at one point tried to remove a shirt she was wearing that he claimed belonged to him, and then grabbed her arm and swung her into a wall.
Omenihu reportedly grabbed the woman’s phone as she was making the 911 call and disconnected the call, and as the woman left the apartment, police say Omenihu pushed her into a wall and caused her to fall.
When talking to responding police officers, the woman told them that weeks earlier, she and Omenihu were arguing when he pushed her into a wall, causing injuries to her lower body.
Omenihu can practice with the Chiefs and play in exhibition games but is suspended without pay for the first six weeks and return in Week 7.
According to BroBible, local police were dispatched to Omenihu’s residence at 4:39 p.m. after a woman at the scene who identified herself as Omenihu’s girlfriend, had alleged that during an argument, he had pushed her to the ground.
#TooBigToProsecute #BBMP #MeToo #MeTooNFL
— Fred(a) #BelieveHerThe1stTime (@FredJoh57935135) January 25, 2023
#BBMP @SusanBassi @StephenJamesUS https://t.co/kHRJ0men8D
— Fred(a) #BelieveHerThe1stTime (@FredJoh57935135) January 26, 2023
#MeTooNFL https://t.co/5w8iZEcRml
— Fred(a) #BelieveHerThe1stTime (@FredJoh57935135) January 26, 2023
— Fred(a) #BelieveHerThe1stTime (@FredJoh57935135) January 26, 2023
The City Manager…really? pic.twitter.com/LrMUTYtGEQ
— Fred(a) #BelieveHerThe1stTime (@FredJoh57935135) January 26, 2023
— Fred(a) #BelieveHerThe1stTime (@FredJoh57935135) January 26, 2023
The Arrowhead Pride reported reported that Omenihu was arrested and later released after posting bail. The 49ers said at the time that they felt “very good about the legal process” taking care of itself, and they allowed Omenihu to continue to play.
NBC Sports said that Omenihu also faced a misdemeanor domestic violence charge from a previous incident, also in January, as well as a misdemeanor for allegedly obstructing the use of a cell phone to prevent the alleged victim from notifying law enforcement.
Court records indicated that the 25-year-old was booked into the Santa Clara County jail on Jan. 23 on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence and later released after posting bail.
Police responded that day to a 911 call in which a woman described a man trying to “beat her,” according to San Jose Detective Erin Allen, who investigated the case. A male voice could be heard in the background saying, “I wasn’t trying to …” before the call disconnected, according to the statement of facts that Allen submitted, the report further claimed.
The woman told police she had been dating Omenihu for eight months and was visiting him from out of town. According to the report, Omenihu searched her phone and found a message on the woman’s Instagram account that upset him. He demanded that she leave his apartment and used disparaging language toward her.
The woman began to pack, the report reads, and Omenihu followed her and tried to take off the shirt she was wearing because it belonged to him. She removed the shirt and changed into a hooded sweatshirt.
Omenihu allegedly grabbed the woman’s left arm and “swung her body into the wall two times.” The woman told police that her face and the front of her body hit the wall.
The woman called 911, and Omenihu took the phone from her and disconnected the call, according to the report. He said he would ruin her life if she spoke to the police.
Omenihu then threw the woman’s suitcase outside the apartment, and she followed him into the hallway. At that point, according to the detective, Omenihu pushed the woman by putting two hands on the front of her body. The victim hit the wall with her left shoulder and side. She fell on the ground.
According to Allen’s report, small bruises formed on the victim’s left arm were consistent with the woman’s description of where and how Omenihu grabbed her.
The woman disclosed details of a prior incident involving the two individuals, which she said occurred on Jan. 3.
In the report, she said Omenihu grabbed her during the previous incident and pushed her against a wall, where her elbow hit the windowsill and her buttocks hit the lever that opens the window. She took photos of her bruising from that incident and provided them to the San Jose Police Department, according to the report. Omenihu also made threats against the woman and her father, per the report, NBC Sports further claimed.
Following the alleged Jan. 3 incident, the woman sent a text message to Omenihu, saying her whole backside hurt, and “you pushed me hard asf,” according to Allen’s report. It goes on to read that a copy of the text messages were provided to the San Jose Police Department, with Omenihu responding, “I know I’m sorry babe it won’t ever happen again.”
The BroBible claimed that these allegations formed the basis of the domestic violence case that eventually led to Omenihu’s suspension by the Football League. The Chiefs signed Omenihu to a two-year contract in March, prior to learning the length of his suspension.
According to the Mercury News, acquired by San Francisco from the Houston Texans in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick at the 2021 trade deadline, Omenihu finished the season with the 49ers and played in all 17 regular season games last season. He started three times and finished with 4 1/2 sacks and three tackles for losses. Omenihu was second on the 49ers with 16 quarterback hits.
At the time of the arrest, the 49ers said they were aware of the arrest and were in the process of gathering information. Omenihu had no comment and played in the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia that week.
A free agent following the season, Omenihu signed a two-year contract worth a maximum of $16 million which guaranteed him $8.6 million at signing. The suspension will cost Omenihu six game checks at approximately $60,000 each — the prorated amount of his $1,080,000 salary.
While the Chiefs moved quickly to sign Omenihu in free agency, the 49ers instead signed former Raiders end and first-round draft pick Clelin Ferrell to a one-year contract and also signed Austin Bryant of the Detroit Lions.
