Jordan Hill, a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, has been charged with felony assault after an incident that involved him allegedly choking and shoving his girlfriend while in Houston. His girlfriend is 28-year-old Darlene Luna, who has dated Hill for two years. The incident occurred back on February 29 and he was not charged until March. According to court documents, Hill and his girlfriend were discussing their future at Hill’s apartment when an argument ensued. Luna said that Hill hit her legs, threw her up against the wall and then placed her in a choke hold.
Luna called police when she returned to her home in Orlando on March 29. She sent police pictures of her bruises and photocopies of her airline tickets to and from Houston. The Houston district attorney said that Hill can face no more than 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if he is convicted of the third-degree felony charge for assault on a family member by choking.
“I’m saddened to learn of the accusations that were filed against me today,” Hill said. “At this time I cannot comment further other than to say that my attorneys are working to gather all of the facts and evidence and I plan to cooperate completely with the authorities. I’d like to apologize to the Lakers organization and to all of their fans for the untimeliness of these accusations. I promise to keep my focus and attention on the playoffs during this time and to helping my team win another championship.”
Hill has a court date today but is not required to appear so he will be available for the Lakers’ game 2 of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets. Neither Hill nor head coach Mike Brown do not expect Hill to miss any practices or games. Brown said that ‘it’s something that’s not in my control.’