The Pittsburgh Steelers waived running back Chris Rainey hours after he was arrested in Gainesville, Fla. and charged with simple battery, a misdemeanor, after an altercation with a woman over a cell phone.
Rainey and a woman were allegedly arguing over Rainey’s cellphone early Thursday morning. Witnesses claim Rainey snatched the woman out of a car and slapped her in the face with an open hand. The two struggled and Rainey also chased down the woman, grabbing her bag in an attempt to retrieve the cell.
This wasn’t Rainey’s first domestic violence arrest, while attending the University of Florida, he sent a threatening text to a girlfriend telling her “Time to Die B—– u and ur???” In that 2010 incident, Rainey was charged with felony aggravated stalking.
Rainey just completed his rookie year with the Steelers.
I guess you have to be Ben Roethlisberger in order to get your day in court first. Of course the star gets all the breaks. Listen, violence against women is out of hand. Perhaps the past incidents where Ben was alleged to have been inappropriate with women helped set the tone for zero tolerance.
“Chris Rainey’s actions this morning were extremely disappointing,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said in a statement released by the team. “Under the circumstances and due to this conduct, Chris will no longer be a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
