NFL Star Sues Local Police to Block Release of Potentially Damning Video

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has spent the entire NFL season away from the football field, and his latest legal maneuver isn’t likely to make his situation any less complicated.

As reported by ESPN, Jacobs filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday against the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department in Wisconsin, seeking to prevent the release of records related to a May 23 incident with a woman at his home.

Those records could include surveillance footage that allegedly captured at least part of the incident, which ultimately resulted in Jacobs being convicted of battery.

The New York Post reported that police accused Jacobs of grabbing his former girlfriend and throwing her to the ground during a dispute over “other girls.” Authorities also alleged that Jacobs broke the woman’s phone.

On Sept. 10, Jacobs pleaded no contest to battery and criminal damage to property charges. He was convicted of battery and ordered to pay more than $1,000 in fines and fees, while the property damage charge was handled through a deferred judgment agreement.

“I fully understand the seriousness of the situation,” Jacobs said at the time, adding that he was taking “full responsibility” for his actions.

Now, however, the Packers star is attempting to keep evidence from the incident out of the public eye.

And there’s an interesting wrinkle to this story: The woman involved in the altercation also wants the records withheld.

Jacobs’ attorneys, Clarence Duchac III, David Chesnoff, and Richard Schonfeld, said their client’s filing “is an effort to assist” the woman, who separately sought to prevent the release of the records.

Jacobs’ lawsuit argued that the woman’s privacy, dignity, and personal security could be compromised if the evidence becomes public.

The filing also contended that simply obscuring faces or names might not be sufficient, given the possibility of artificial intelligence identifying someone through other physical characteristics.

There is also a second concern raised in the lawsuit, one that has little to do with the alleged victim — Jacobs’ own home security.

The running back argued that releasing surveillance footage could expose the layout of his garage, entrances, exits, and security arrangements, potentially giving criminals useful information about his residence.

“Public sports figures have been targeted for robbery and related property crimes,” the filing said, arguing that publicly available information about athletes’ schedules could make such security disclosures especially dangerous.

The police department had determined that certain investigative records could be released with appropriate redactions, but legal challenges have halted that process.

Authorities have not publicly clarified whether the garage surveillance video was among the materials approved for release.

Of course, the fact that Jacobs and the woman both oppose releasing the records makes this more complicated than a simple dispute over public access. Their stated privacy concerns deserve consideration, even as questions remain about what the footage actually shows.

Meanwhile, the NFL has its own interest in the evidence. ESPN reported that the league is attempting to obtain the video as part of its investigation into Jacobs, who has not played this season while on the commissioner’s exempt list.

Any time Jacobs spends on that list would count toward a potential NFL suspension. For a player who has already missed significant time, the uncertainty surrounding his football future is hardly insignificant.

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