Contrary to witness statements, the prosecutor who agreed last month to reduce domestic violence charges against Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark doesn't think Clark struck his girlfriend in an ugly November scene inside an Ohio hotel room.
Though she concedes there were "physical things going on" between Clark and Diamond Hurt, Lynne Gast-King, municipal prosecutor for the city of Sandusky, Ohio, told The Seattle Times on Wednesday she believes Clark didn’t abuse Hurt.
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“From what I gathered, I do not believe he punched her, slapped her, anything like that,” Gast-King said. “As someone who watched the Ray Rice situation in horror, I don’t think this is what you’re going to see from Frank Clark. … I don’t think he’s a danger to this particular lady or to other women. And I hope I’m not wrong.”
Clark, 21, was arrested Nov. 16 and charged with first-degree misdemeanor assault and domestic violence in connection with the hotel incident. Hurt told police that an argument with Clark turned violent and he punched her in the face, causing her to fall backward into a lamp. According to the police report, Hurt was left bloodied and nearly unconscious lying on the floor. Hurt's 15-year-old brother also said he witnessed Clark punch Hurt, the report said.
Michigan kicked Clark off its team two days after the arrest. He agreed to a plea deal with Gast-King in April, with the charges reduced to persistent disorderly conduct.
Gast-King told the Times she offered a plea bargain after speaking with Clark, Hurt and her mother. She said she came away from those conversations convinced Clark and Hurt were involved in a “physical confrontation,” but not domestic violence.
“It’s not like (Hurt) recanted or anything, either,” Gast-King said. “She was very forthright about what happened. She relayed how things happened, and how out-of-control things got and how frightened everyone was, including her brothers. I mean, Mr. Clark is a big man (listed at 6-3, 271 pounds).“
The Seahawks have faced national backlash for selecting Clark in the second round (63rd overall) in last week's NFL Draft. Some have called Seattle general manager John Schneider a hypocrite for the pick, citing his statement in 2012 that his team "would never take a player that struck a female or had a domestic violence dispute like that."
Schneider said after the draft the Seahawks felt confident Clark was not abusive, but it was reported Monday by the Times that the team's investigation into Clark's background did not include interviews with Hurt or witnesses of the attack.
Gast-King claimed none of the witnesses saw “the entire ordeal.”
“As a prosecutor, I want to be perceptive to the fact that domestic violence is a very serious issue that needs to be dealt with,” she said. “But I also am perceptive to the fact that two people can have an altercation that is not domestic violence. Every case you have to look at the whole case.”