Dynamo’s Deric ordered not to contact woman
Bond conditions are set for goalkeeper after alleged head-butting incident with girlfriend
Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric is barred from contacting the girlfriend he allegedly headbutted last month, a judge ruled Friday.
Deric, 29, appeared before County Court at Law Judge Robin Brown, who set bond conditions while the misdemeanor assault case is pending.
A standout on Houston’s professional soccer team, Deric was arrested Oct. 31 for the alleged domestic violence incident and made $1,000 bail. He is accused of using his head to hit a woman he was dating.
His attorney, Allen Tanner, said Deric is innocent and this is the second time the woman has filed charges. In the first case, the woman dropped the case.
“He’s not guilty, and we’ll take it to trial if we need to,” Tanner said. “It’s a shame he’s not able to play in the playoffs for something he didn’t do.”
Deric 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.
Prosecutors declined to comment on Friday’s appearance.
Deric’s case has been assigned to the family criminal law divi-
sion of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. The division specializes in domestic violence cases and has successfully prosecuted attackers even after their victims recant. Because of the well-documented cycle of violence in abusive relationships, victims often change their story, sometimes take the blame and occasionally even testify on behalf of their attacker, a challenge for prosecutors.
In Deric’s previous arrest, the same girlfriend said he pushed her against a bed frame, hit her in the nose with his palm and dragged her out of his apartment Dec. 18, 2015. Deric was arrested 12 days later. Police photographed the injuries, according to court records.
The woman eventually dropped those charges and consented to a video recorded on Tanner’s cellphone in which she said she made up the details in the police report. In the video, the woman said she was angry 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.
Before that, he was charged in 2012 with misdemeanor assault of a public servant after throwing a police officer to the ground while the officer tried to arrest him. It is not clear from court records why he was being arrested. A Harris County grand jury later decided there was not enough evidence in that case to proceed,