Retired Patriots safety Patrick Chung charged with assaulting a family member, vandalism

Retired New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung appeared in Quincy District Court in Massachusetts on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to one charge of assault and battery of a family member and one charge of vandalism, according to the Boston Globe.

Chung was arrested on Monday, but no details of the alleged crime have been released.

The Globe reported that the domestic violence charge involved the mother of one of his children. She appeared in court Tuesday without a lawyer and asked the judge for a restraining order, which was granted. After Chung pleaded not guilty, the judge released him without bail. However, if the terms of the restraining order are violated, that will convert to an additional criminal charge.

On Monday, the day he was arrested, Chung tweeted "Best day of my life."

Chung, 34, played in the NFL for 11 years, spending 10 of them with the Patriots and earning three Super Bowl rings in the process. He opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then announced his retirement in March 2021.

Chung has been in trouble with the law once before. He was indicted by a New Hampshire grand jury in Aug. 2019 on a cocaine possession charge after police discovered evidence at his home while responding to a "call for service." The charges were dismissed in Jan. 2020, but with conditions attached. If he committed a felony or misdemeanor anytime in the next two years, the charges would be reinstated.