SAFE Alliance speaks on Chris Beard’s alleged assault

AUSTIN, Texas – An arrest affidavit reveals new details about the arrest of Texas basketball head coach Chris Beard on Dec. 12.

According to the affidavit, the victim said the two have been upset with each other for a couple of days.

“A lot of times there’s jealousy, there’s controlling behavior. Frequently, maybe the abuser tries to isolate the victim from friends and family or cut them off resources,” says Coni Stogner, Vice President of Prevention and Community Services at SAFE Alliance.

The victim says she went to the bedroom to check in on him, got frustrated, took a pair of glasses from his hand, broke them then left the room. About 10 to 15 minutes later she offered him a new pair of glasses. 

The affidavit says the victim told police Beard slapped the glasses she was wearing off her face. She then tells the police Beard threw her from the bed to the floor. The victim was trying to pick her glasses off the floor, and then Beard came up behind her and strangled her.

RELATED COVERAGE:

“We urge anybody that may be experiencing domestic violence or even if they just have a question of what their experiencing is domestic violence that they can call our hotline at any time,” says Stogner. 

Police say the victim showed physical injuries from Beard, a bite mark on her right forearm, and an abrasion to her eyebrow/temple area.

“If, you know, if it’s someone, you know, trying to talk to them when they aren’t around the abuser and just really encouraging them to reach out either to SAFE or to an agency,” says Stogner.

The nonprofit SAFE says they’ve seen an increase in domestic violence cases in the past couple of years.

“A big increase in calls since COVID and more demand for that in particular people calling in needing our help,” says Stogner.

Beard was arrested and charged with assault by strangulation/suffocation, a third-degree felony. He was released from the Travis County Jail on Dec. 12 after posting $10,000 bond.

If you are in need of domestic violence resources, click here. SAFE offers 24 hours a day, seven day a week hotline that has live phone calls, texts, and chats at 512-267-7233.