The Seahawks were criticized after drafting Frank Clark, a defensive end who was dismissed from Michigan's football team in November after he was arrested on domestic violence charges (which were dropped and reduced last month), with their first pick. Now there are questions whether the team did its due diligence in looking into Clark's background.
Seattle general manager John Schneider, who said prior to the 2012 NFL Draft that his team "would never take a player that struck a female or had a domestic violence dispute like that," was asked Friday night if that's still his stance.
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"Yeah, it still is," Schneider said, via ESPN. "I can't get into all the specifics of Frank's case, but that is still a deal-breaker for us and will continue to be."
According to the police report, Clark's girlfriend claimed he punched her in the face after an altercation. The woman's brother, who was also in the room, said he saw Clark pick her up by the neck and slam her to the ground. Photos from the report show marks on the girl's face and throat.
The Seahawks are apparently confident that Clark did no wrongdoing, but the Seattle Times discovered the team's investigation might not have been so thorough. According to the Times, the Seahawks did not interview any witnesses from the incident.
The Times, however, did interview the witnesses — Lis Babson, 44, and Kristie Colie, 43. They were in the room next to Clark's when they heard loud noises coming from his room. They said they knew something was wrong, so they knocked on the door until he opened it.
Babson said Clark tried to slam the door in her face, but she was able to prevent it from shutting. Colie, who followed Babson, said she saw a woman in the room who "was definitely beat up."
"She looked unconscious," Colie told the Times. "She looked like she was knocked out, and then she started to move slowly."
Schneider told media he understands why people would be upset about the draft selection.
"I have four older sisters," he explained, according to ESPN. "But I would say there's always two sides to a story. You can't just go with one police report. You have to talk to everyone that's involved. Everybody."
Clark, who was initially charged with two first-degree misdemeanors for domestic violence and assault, accepted a plea deal in April; a reduced charge of persistent disorderly conduct. He was fined $250 and won't have a domestic-violence conviction on his record.