Chiefs’ Charles Omenihu gets six-game suspension for arrest while with 49ers

Charles Omenihu, a Kansas City defensive end, was suspended for six games Friday under the NFL’s personal conduct policy for a domestic violence arrest in San Jose last season while playing for the 49ers.

Omenihu, 25, was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery and one misdemeanor count of illegally destroying, removing, or obstructing the use of a wireless communication device by San Jose police in January.

According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, Omenihu’s criminal case was resolved when he 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.

An investigation by San Jose police revealed that Omenihu’s girlfriend called 911 from his Santana Row apartment to report that he was attempting to “beat her.” Police said Omenihu became enraged at his girlfriend about 30 minutes before the call after searching her phone and discovering “a message that upset him on the victim’s Instagram account,” followed by him repeatedly yelling at her and spitting in her face.

In an investigative summary submitted to prosecutors, police wrote that Omenihu told the woman to leave his home and tried to remove a shirt she was wearing that he claimed belonged to him before grabbing her arm and swinging her into a wall.

Omenihu allegedly grabbed the woman’s phone while she was dialing 911 and disconnected the call, and as the woman exited the apartment, Omenihu allegedly pushed her into a wall and caused her to fall.

The woman told responding police officers that she and Omenihu had been arguing when he pushed her into a wall, causing injuries to her lower body.

Omenihu can practice and play in exhibition games with the Chiefs, but he is suspended without pay for the first six weeks and will return in Week 7.

Omenihu was acquired by the 49ers from the Houston Texans at the 2021 trade deadline in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. He played in all 17 regular season games last season. He made three starts and finished with four and a half sacks and three tackles for loss. Omenihu led the 49ers in quarterback hits with 16. The 49ers stated at the time of the arrest that they were aware of the arrest and were gathering information. Omenihu made no comment and went on to play in the NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia the following week.

Omenihu, a free agent after the season, signed a two-year contract worth up to $16 million, with a $8.6 million signing bonus. Omenihu’s suspension will cost him six game checks worth around $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 deal, as did the Detroit Lions’ Austin Bryant.

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