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COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — The live-in girlfriend of Utah Jazz player Al Jefferson was charged Friday with hitting and biting him.
Shirley Lewis, 38, was arrested about 8:30 p.m. Thursday after she called police from the couple's home near 8000 South and Highland Drive, Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Mark Askerlund said. Police determined that it was a domestic violence incident and that Lewis was the aggressor.
"That's a personal matter. "I don't want to discuss it," Jefferson told reporters at Jazz Media Day Friday. "I'm here to talk about basketball."
Earlier in the morning, Lewis was charged in Holladay Justice Court with assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child, both class B misdemeanors.
Lewis "was in a verbal argument with her live-in boyfriend, Al Jefferson, when she hit him and bit him on the back," a Salt Lake County Jail report states.
Askerlund said two children, ages 3 and 9, were home at the time of the incident and were "visibly upset." Still, both Jefferson and Lewis were cooperative with police.
"There was no problem getting information from either party," Askerlund said
The injuries to the Jazz player, which police said were consistent with both Jefferson and Lewis' version of events, did not require treatment.
"It was just abrasions, those types of things," Askerlund said. "There were no serious injuries, but it was an assault."
Askerlund said it did not appear that alcohol played a factor in the altercation, but he did not know what sparked the argument. He said the couple has been dating for several years.
It was just abrasions, those types of things. There were no serious injuries, but it was an assault.
–Sgt. Mark Askerlund
Lewis was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Thursday night and was later released. An arraignment on the charges was scheduled Friday morning, but Lewis was not there at the scheduled time, nor did she make it before the morning hearing ended at noon, a Holladay Justice Court clerk said.
Court officials said Lewis may not have known about the appearance and planned to reschedule the hearing and send Lewis notice of the future court date in the mail.
Jefferson, 26, joined the Utah Jazz in 2010 following a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 280-pound, 6- foot-10-inch center is originally from Mississippi.
Jazz President Randy Rigby said he did not want to comment on the incident.
"We're leaving that for Al and his girlfriend," Rigby said. "We're about building a basketball team."
Jefferson said he was grateful for the support he's received from the Jazz organization. "Teammates is like family. Family is always going to be with you through thick and thin," he said.
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Written by Emiley Morgan with contributions from Jed Boal.
