NBA player Jaxson Hayes is recovering from minor injuries and possibly facing jail time after an interaction with police officers became violent.
TMZ was first to report that Los Angeles officers were called to a home in L.A.’s Woodland Hills neighborhood at around 3 a.m. on Wednesday, July 28, to investigate reports of a domestic disturbance when the situation quickly escalated.
The New Orleans Pelicans center initially attempted to hinder officers from gaining entry to the property, which the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports is the home of the 21-year-old Hayes’ girlfriend, a confrontation which eventually intensified into a full-on altercation. Hayes allegedly became “combative” with the officers, who eventually used a taser on the 6-foot-11 player and at one point radioed for assistance citing an “officer needs help.”
Both Hayes and an officer who was involved in the scuffle were taken to a hospital and treated for injuries. Hayes, whose injuries were said to be minor, is still being investigated for the initial domestic incident that officers were called out for and is also expected to face charges for felony battery on a police officer. Hayes was released from jail on $25,000 bond Wednesday afternoon.
The Pelicans have released a statement noting that they are “aware of the incident” and are working “to gather more information.” “We have been made aware of the incident involving Jaxson Hayes,” it reads. “We are working in conjunction with the NBA and Jaxson’s representatives to gather more information and will have no further comment at this time.”
While the other party in the domestic incident hasn’t been confirmed, Hayes has been in a relationship with his girlfriend, model Sofia Jamora, for months. The two have been publicly dating since February 2021 and Hayes’ most recent photos of them looking like a happy couple were shared three weeks ago at what appears to be an amusement park.
Hayes joined the Pelicans in 2019 after initially being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks during round one of the 2019 NBA draft but was traded within weeks to the Pelicans before playing for Atlanta. Hayes has averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in his two seasons as a backup center in New Orleans.
