Steelers LB Arrested, Charged with Domestic Assault Before Release

The Pittsburgh Steelers released linebacker Tariq Carpenter from their practice squad on Sunday, after his arrest on a domestic violence charge in Pittsburgh earlier that day.

Carpenter, 24, did not play for the team in Indianapolis on Saturday afternoon. At 8 a.m. on Sunday, Pittsburgh police were called to the Uptown neighborhood for a domestic violence situation.

According to the criminal complaint, police met with a woman who alleged that Carpenter, her boyfriend, threw her to the ground and held her there.

He was arrested and booked at Allegheny County Jail on a charge of simple assault, a second-degree misdemeanor. He was released on bail later on Sunday. Simple assault is defined as when a person “attempts to cause or intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another” by the Pennsylvania Code.

Court documents do not list an attorney for Carpenter. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 4.

The Steelers released Carpenter just after 11 a.m., only a few hours after police were first alerted to the situation.

Carpenter, 24, made his Steelers debut in the 23-19 win over the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 12. after he was elevated from the practice squad for that game. That was his first of three consecutive practice squad elevations.

In three games, Carpenter played in 34 snaps, all on special teams, and made two tackles. NFL rules prohibit a team promoting a player from the practice squad more than three times in a season without adding him to the 53-man roster.

After Carpenter ran out of elevations, instead of promoting him, the Steelers used outside linebacker Kyron Johnson for his special teams role the last three weeks.

With Johnson out of elevations as well, the team could have been in a position to pick between Carpenter and Johnson for a permanent promotion this week.

Instead, the Georgia Tech alum will hit the free agent wire after his release. NFL players are subject to supplemental discipline from the league for charges related to domestic violence.