Nwankwo accused of assault
Houston defensive tackle Chidozie Nwankwo is facing a felony assault charge after his arrest on suspicion he choked his girlfriend.
Nwankwo, a rising sophomore who started six games last season, was charged with assault of a family member and impeding breathing, a felony, after his arrest Feb. 3. In charging papers, Harris County prosecutors said Nwankwo grabbed his girlfriend by the neck and “slammed her into the wall.”
He was released on $5,000 bond.
UH announced Monday that Nwankwo has been suspended from the team.
“We are aware of the serious allegations regarding Chidozie Nwankwo,” the school said in a statement. “He has been suspended from the Houston football program, pending further information. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the athletics department’s ability to comment on specific cases is restricted.”
According to charging papers, the UH police department responded to a domestic disturbance at Cullen Oaks Apartments, Nwankwo’s on-campus residence, at approximately 12:38 a.m. on Jan. 29.
Nwankwo, 18, admitted to police that he and his girlfriend got into a “heated verbal argument.” A UH police officer stated he did not hear the woman allege that Nwankwo choked her and was present when Nwankwo called his father and denied a physical assault took place.
After leaving the apartment, the UH police officer confirmed through body camera footage that the woman said Nwankwo had choked her by placing his left hand around her neck.
The alleged incident began when the woman, who has been in a relationship with Nwankwo for three years, asked for help with her hair, according to charging papers. Nwankwo began to yell and asked her to leave the apartment. As she began to pack, the woman said Nwankwo “became enraged and aggressively grabbed her by her neck and slammed her into the wall.”
She added that Nwankwo continued to hold her by the throat and “squeeze tighter and tighter causing her physical pain and to gasp for air.” During the altercation, the woman said she “feared for her life.”
The woman said Nwankwo then went into the bathroom and threw all her makeup off the counter and began to yell obscenities. When she attempted to exit the bathroom, the woman said Nwankwo struck her in the face with an open hand and grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her face into a mattress.
A protective order states Nwankwo must remain 200 feet away from the woman.
Corey Harris, Nwankwo’s father, declined comment when reached Monday afternoon.
Nwankwo, who is listed at 5-11 and 293 pounds, was a highly recruited football player in 2020 and a twotime state champion wrestler at Foster High School. As a true freshman, he played in all eight games for the Cougars, registering 11 tackles, including 1½ for loss.