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Report: Reuben Foster also threw girlfriend's dog during argument

In this April 12, 2018, file photo, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster arrives at Santa Clara County Superior Court. (AP)
In this April 12, 2018, file photo, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster arrives at Santa Clara County Superior Court. (AP)

Previously unreported details of Reuben Foster’s argument with his girlfriend will be tough for the San Francisco 49ers to ignore.

Included in the police report, which was first published by the Sacramento Bee’s Matt Barrows, was Foster’s ex-girlfriend saying during a police interview that Foster threw her dog across the room during their argument. The dog was not injured, the Bee said she told police.

Since Foster was arrested and charged, his ex-girlfriend has recanted her story. She hired a lawyer, who said Foster didn’t strike, injure or threaten her, and she told Foster if he broke up with her she would “trash his career.” Foster was accused of dragging his girlfriend and punching her in the head, rupturing her eardrum. The ex-girlfriend changed her story, saying injuries she suffered happened during a fight with another woman, and she and her lawyer have turned over a video of that fight to authorities. Foster was charged with felony domestic violence and the San Jose Mercury News said the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office is “proceeding with felony charges of domestic violence, forcefully attempting to dissuade a witness, and possession of an assault weapon,” even after the ex-girlfriend took back her story.

The 49ers didn’t say much of any substance about Foster’s legal issue, then right before the draft general manager John Lynch saidif these charges are proven true, if Reuben did indeed hit this young lady, he won’t be a part of our organization going forward.” The ex-girlfriend recanted her story two days later.

The Bee had other details from the police report. A friend of Foster’s was at the house during the time of the argument but said he was in his room and didn’t witness the argument or any altercation. Multiple officers commented on the “strong smell of marijuana” upon entering the residence. Also, police found a loaded .38-caliber pistol and a Sig Sauer short-barreled rifle with a loaded 30-round magazine and a round in the chamber, the Bee wrote. Foster was charged with felony possession of an assault weapon due to the Sig Sauer, the Bee said.

The Bee said Foster also smashed two of her cellphones, including one outside of his house on Feb. 11, the morning of the altercation, as she was calling 911. According to the Bee, the police report said the phone was smashed after Foster “threatened to kill her or have someone kill her if she called police.” Foster acknowledged smashing the phones, the Bee said, including the first one because he thought she was secretly recording him.

According to the Bee, the ex-girlfriend said the two argued, then Foster threw her clothing out of the house from an upstairs balcony and told her to leave. She said he “dragged her downstairs by her hair and threw her out of the front door.” She twice returned through an unlocked back door, she said according to the Bee, and both times she claims Foster threw her out. The last time, the Bee wrote that she said Foster punched her approximately 10 times in the face and back.

The 49ers have been content to say little and generally point out the legal situation is still ongoing. The NFL will weigh in at some point too, and has punished players in the past even without a guilty verdict.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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