Nebraska’s Mickey Joseph allegedly strangled, punched lady, affidavit says

LINCOLN, Neb. — Mickey Joseph, Nebraska’s interim soccer coach for 9 video games this season, is accused of placing his fingers round a lady’s throat, pulling her hair and punching her earlier than being taken into custody, in line with a police affidavit filed Thursday.

Joseph, 54, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of strangulation and third-degree home assault. Joseph denied to police that he assaulted the lady. Nebraska positioned Joseph on administrative depart.

Joseph made his preliminary court docket look on video from the Lancaster County Jail on Thursday. He didn’t enter a plea. His bond was set at $20,000 and he was ordered to not have contact with the alleged sufferer. His subsequent court docket look was set for Jan. 30. His legal professional, Sean Brennan, didn’t reply to a message searching for remark.

Police went to a Lincoln residence Wednesday afternoon after a report of a home disturbance.

The girl mentioned she and Joseph had been in an argument when Joseph pushed her, inflicting her to fall onto a sofa. She mentioned Joseph obtained on prime of her and positioned his fingers round her throat.

“He pushed me on the sofa and strangled me,” she mentioned, in line with the affidavit. She mentioned her respiratory was impeded and that she wasn’t in a position to breathe till she pushed him off.

When she went into the kitchen, she mentioned, Joseph grabbed her hair from behind and pulled her backward, inflicting her to fall to the ground. Within the means of falling, she mentioned, Joseph struck her within the left temple with a closed fist.

Police mentioned she had seen redness and swelling round her left eye which was in step with being struck, and she or he was noticed to have a number of strands of hair clinging to her higher pant leg. She mentioned the hairs had been pulled from her when Joseph grabbed her.

The Related Press usually doesn’t establish individuals who say they’ve been subjected to excessive abuse. The girl within the Joseph case has not publicly recognized herself.

The girl additionally mentioned Joseph additionally grabbed her cellphone and tried to flush it down a rest room. Police mentioned they noticed the cellphone inside a container of rice on the kitchen counter.

A relative of the lady additionally was on the residence, and he advised police he noticed Joseph’s fingers across the lady’s throat and that Joseph pushed her onto the sofa after he yelled to him. Joseph left the house and was situated by police at one other location.

Joseph’s arrest got here two days after Matt Rhule was launched because the Cornhuskers’ new head coach. Rhule had mentioned Monday he deliberate to satisfy with Joseph to debate the potential for Joseph remaining on the employees. Rhule declined remark by an athletic division spokesman.

Joseph is below contract by Dec. 31, 2023, and his annual wage is listed at $600,000. Beneath phrases of the contract, he might be fired for trigger if convicted of a misdemeanor or felony that impairs his capacity to carry out duties on behalf of the college. If a firing for trigger is upheld, the college wouldn’t must pay the remaining cash owed on the contract.

Joseph was a quarterback for the Cornhuskers from 1988-91 and had run-ins with police throughout his enjoying days. He returned to Nebraska final December as receivers coach and was named interim head coach Sept. 11 after Alberts fired Scott Frost. The Huskers had been 3-6 below Joseph and completed the season 4-8.