Wife of Clippers' Reed wants domestic battery charge dropped

MIAMI (AP) - The wife of Los Angeles Clippers center Willie Reed said Wednesday she does not wish to press battery charges against her husband after an argument between the couple led to his weekend arrest.

Jasmine Reed said in statement issued by her attorney, Ivlis Mantilla, that the situation was blown out of proportion and that she never called police. Willie Reed, who played last year for the Miami Heat, was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge after the argument Saturday night with his wife at their Miami residence.

A police report quoted Jasmine Reed as saying her 6-foot-11 (2.1 meters), 245-pound (111 kilograms) husband pulled her hair, grabbed her wrists and dragged her in a struggle over her purse. She also told officers she hit Willie Reed with a glass candlestick holder.

On Wednesday, she called Willie Reed "a good man and a great father." The couple has two children.

"This is a private matter between my husband and I and for the sake of our family I would like to keep it that way," Jasmine Reed said.

Jasmine Reed also said in an affidavit filed in court that she does not want to be interviewed by police or prosecutors and that she does not fear her husband. She also asked that a stay-away order issued against Willie Reed be dismissed.

"I would hope they and the court would respect my wishes," she said in the affidavit.

Willie Reed, 27, recently signed a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the Clippers. As Miami's backup center last season, he averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game but decided to opt out of his Heat contract.

"Willie is looking forward to putting this behind him and focusing on his family and his new team," said his attorney, David O. Markus.

The NBA and its players association implemented a new domestic violence policy as part of the collective bargaining agreement, which started on July 1. Under terms of the policy, the league can conduct its own investigation into the matter and hand out punishment before a court rules on criminal charges.

Willie Reed, who played college ball at Saint Louis, has also played for the Brooklyn Nets and in the NBA developmental league.

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