University of Houston football player Carmello Brooks appeared in court Monday while facing two criminal charges, including an allegation that he assaulted a pregnant person. Nariah Harley, the woman identified in that case, asked the judge to dismiss the charge and said police misunderstood the incident.
Harley told the court that she and Brooks argued inside his apartment last week. She said Brooks repeatedly told her to leave, and that he eventually lifted her and placed her outside. Harley also said Brooks contacted police because she would not leave the apartment.
Brooks’ attorney, Brent Wasserstein, said prosecutors are expected to examine the 911 call and police body-camera recordings from the response. He told the court that the recordings could support Brooks’ account of what happened.
Brooks faces a separate criminal-mischief charge related to an August incident in northwest Harris County. He is accused of damaging a door handle after a dispute involving another woman and her sister. Family members said Brooks and those women grew up together in Killeen and attended high school together.
Harley also is from Killeen and attends Texas Southern University. She told the court Brooks is the father of her baby and said she does not view herself as a victim. “I would like for all the charges to be dismissed, dropped by the DA,” Harley said.
