Deric suspended following arrest
Alleged domestic incident leads to MLS investigation
Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric has been suspended by Major League Soccer pending investigations of an incident that led to his arrest by Houston police early Tuesday morning.
Deric was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault of a family member in connection to an alleged domestic incident.
Deric posted $1,000 bond and was released from jail. His next court date is Tuesday. The reigning MLS Player of the Month will not be available for the Dynamo’s playoff game against the Portland Timbers on Sunday.
He is suspended from all team activities, including working out at the team’s training facility.
The league will conduct its own investigation independent of local law enforcement and could take action independent of any criminal outcome.
In a statement, MLS said it “will remain in close communication with the Houston Dynamo, local law enforcement and the MLS Players Union during this investigation.”
The Dynamo released the following statement:
“Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric was arrested Tuesday morning in connection with an alleged domestic dispute. We take these matters very seriously and are working closely with Major League Soccer and local authorities. We support the league’s decision to suspend the player pending further investigation. The club will have no further comment until the investigation into this alleged incident is complete.”
Court documents show that Deric is accused of “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly” causing bodily injury to a person with whom he had a dating relationship by striking her with his head.
Deric’s attorney Allen Tanner, who also represented Deric after a previous incident with the same woman, denied everything.
“I know Tyler and the woman involved,” Tanner said. “I know the details of what went on Monday night, and I am totally shocked the police filed this case without doing some sort of investigation. Tyler is totally innocent, and it is totally unfair what is happening now. We will fight this in court.”
The previous incident, in which the woman alleged Deric dragged her on the ground with his hand, occurred on Dec. 18, 2015. Deric was arrested 12 days later.
The women eventually dropped those charges and, after showing up to court, consented to a video recorded on Tanner’s cell phone in which she said she made up the details in the police report. In the video, she said she was mad at Deric at the time and felt bad that she put him in that position.
The Harris County District Attorney’s office did not press charges in that incident. In lieu of going to trial, Deric reached an agreement with the DA’s office to go to relationship counseling. He was not placed on probation and was not required to report to a supervisor.
Court records show Deric completed that counseling on June 20, 2017.
“If the police had looked into the relationship and talked to him (after Tuesday’s incident), they would have seen the video in his files,” Tanner said. “If the police had known she falsely accused him in the past, maybe they would not have filed the case this time.”