Retired ex-New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung charged with assault and battery of family member

Former New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung was charged Monday with assault and battery against a family member and vandalism, according to court records.

Chung appeared in court Tuesday in Quincy, Massachusetts, and pleaded not guilty to charges involving the mother of one of his children, according to The Boston Globe. The woman, who represented herself, also obtained a civil restraining order against Chung at the hearing. Chung was represented by an attorney.

Chung, 34, played for the Patriots from 2009 to 2012, and then from 2014 to 2019. He was part of three Super Bowl championship teams.

Chung had opted out of the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic and intended to play in 2021 before retiring in March, posting on Instagram that “it’s time to start a new life.”

He later said that breaking the news to Patriots coach Bill Belichick “was probably the hardest conversation” he had in a long time.

“I felt like I was letting him down, but it was something I had to do for my family and me,” Chung said at the time.

On Monday afternoon, Chung had tweeted that he was having the “best day of my life.”

In August 2019, Chung was indicted for cocaine possession in New Hampshire, but had the charge conditionally dismissed in January of 2020.