The New England Patriots’ recent draft class is making news for the wrong reasons this week. Quintayvious Hutchins, a seventh-round pick out of Boston College, was arraigned Wednesday in Newton District Court following a domestic assault and battery charge involving a family or household member.
The 23-year-old former Boston College standout pleaded not guilty and was let go on personal recognizance. For their part, the Patriots aren’t saying much yet, only that they know about the report and are busy digging into the details. They did make sure to mention they take these kinds of situations very seriously.
According to the police report, things went down Tuesday at a BC residence hall. Campus police say Hutchins allegedly grabbed a woman by the neck and pushed her. Interestingly, the woman told officers that nothing actually happened, but a resident assistant who saw the whole thing told a different story. That witness claimed she heard the two arguing in the hallway before seeing Hutchins get physical.
Hutchins told the police he was just holding the woman’s phone and ended up throwing it once he got a ring back from her. The witness also noted that Hutchins was calling the woman a “cheater” during the heated exchange.
The Patriots took the 6-foot-3 defender with the 247th overall pick last month, hoping his five years of experience and nine sacks at Boston College would translate to the pro level. Now, instead of focusing on training camp, everyone is waiting to see how the legal side of this and the NFL’s own conduct rules will play out for the young defender.