Texas police investigating Manziel after disturbance

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Before Johnny Manziel was found “safe and in no danger,” police in Texas used a helicopter to locate the Browns quarterback, who is being investigated by police in Fort Worth and Dallas following a disturbance early Saturday during which he may have assaulted his ex-girlfriend.

Manziel, who has had two tumultuous seasons in the NFL, was identified by police after they were called at about 2 a.m. to investigate a report of a possible assault at an apartment complex. The officers didn’t find the caller, but they spoke to an unidentified 23-year-old woman who said she was involved in a disturbance with her ex-boyfriend earlier that night in Dallas.

Sgt. Steve Enright later identified him as Manziel, the 23-year-old former Heisman Trophy winner who has made far more headlines for his off-field behavior since college than for anything he’s done for the Browns.

There were no arrests, and it’s not clear if Manziel has yet been questioned.

Police didn’t say if the ex-girlfriend was injured. An ambulance was called, but she was not taken to a hospital. The police report said the woman was uncooperative with officers, who were unable to locate a crime scene. The woman told the officers she was involved in a disturbance with her ex-boyfriend earlier that night in Dallas and possibly other locations.

Fort Worth police are working with Dallas police to determine if a crime occurred.

According to a statement released by Fort Worth police, they used their Air One Unit helicopter to locate Manziel after his unidentified ex-girlfriend said she was concerned about his well-being. Police called Manziel’s cellphone while searching for him before determining he was safe.

The Browns had no immediate comment. An email sent Saturday to Manziel’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, was not immediately returned.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email the league is “aware and looking into it.”

This is the second time Manziel has been investigated by police following an argument with his now ex-girlfriend.

In October, police in Avon, Ohio, received an emergency call after Manziel and Colleen Crowley were spotted fighting as they drove near the quarterback’s home on the west side of Cleveland. Manziel was not arrested but the matter prompted an NFL investigation to see if he violated the league’s personal conduct policy.

Crowley had told police that Manziel hit her and pushed her head against a car window. The couple told police they had been drinking alcohol earlier in the day.

Manziel was later questioned by a league investigator and cleared, but it was another mark on his already tainted reputation.

Manziel spent more than 70 days in a Pennsylvania rehabilitation facility specializing in alcohol and drug addiction treatment last winter.

His latest off-field problem won’t help his standing with the Browns, who seem to be distancing themselves from the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner from Texas A&M.