New Bears receiver Brandon Marshall accused of punching woman

By Chuck Schilken

March 14, 2012 12 AM PT

Brandon Marshall has been accused of punching a woman in the face outside of a New York nightclub over the weekend. The Chicago Bears were aware of the allegation when they acquired the receiver in a trade with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday, the team said Wednesday.

“Both the Bears and Dolphins were aware of what occurred over the weekend,” Bears General Manager Phil Emery said in a statement. “We decided to move forward with the trade. We have high expectations for Brandon as a Bear.”

According to a statement from Marshall’s attorney, Harvey Steinberg, an altercation that did not involve either Marshall or his wife resulted in his wife being hit with a bottle. Steinberg said Marshall took his wife to a hospital to be treated for “serious injuries.”

But Christin Myles filed a police report Monday night saying Marshall hit her in the left eye during the incident at the Marquee in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood about 3:50 a.m. Sunday. Police are investigating the complaint, and Marshall has not been charged. Steinberg said his client hopes to “assist authorities” in clearing up the matter.

Marshall has been arrested twice for suspicion of domestic violence and was also involved in a 2007 fight at a Denver nightclub that eventually ended in the drive-by killing of former Broncos teammate Darrent Williams.

The Bears traded a pair of third-round draft picks for Marshall, a six-year veteran who made his third Pro Bowl last year with 81 catches for 1,214 yards and six touchdowns. The trade reunites Marshall with quarterback Jay Cutler, a former teammate on the Broncos.

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