National Football Leagues' Brandon Marshall stabbed by wife

 

story by ESPN/AP

Dolphin Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall was released from the hospital Saturday after what police said was a domestic-violence incident in which he was stabbed by his wife with a kitchen knife Friday in the Miami area.

Marshall's wife, Michi Nogami-Marshall, 26, was arrested Friday by the Broward County Sheriff's Office on a domestic-violence charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Nogami-Marshall was released from jail on a $7,500 bond Saturday afternoon.

Marshall underwent emergency surgery Saturday morning, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Marshall was discharged later in the day and "expected to make a full recovery," according to his publicist, Denise White.

According to the police report, Nogami-Marshall told police she stabbed Marshall in self-defense.

Brandon Marshall initially told police he slipped and fell onto a broken glass vase, but according to the report, police found no blood or evidence to substantiate that statement and said both Marshall and his wife provided little information.

Marshall, 27, was taken to Broward General Hospital in Fort Lauderdale by car and underwent surgery late Friday night for a stab wound to the stomach, sources told Schefter.

No vital organs were pierced in the incident, and doctors have told him that Marshall will be OK in two to three weeks, sources said.

"This is a very difficult time for Brandon and family, thankfully he will make a full recovery," Marshall's agents, Kennard McGuire and Harvey Steinberg, said in a statement. "We simply ask that his privacy is respected."

Dolphins officials say they were told by the league their team doctor is allowed to see Marshall and consult with Marshall's other doctors, despite the NFL lockout.

The Dolphins issued a statement saying: "We are aware of the report, and our thoughts are with Brandon at this time. We will look into the matter, but because we are not allowed to have any contact with any of our players we will refrain from making any further comment."

Marshall became engaged to Nogami-Marshall while in Hawaii for the 2009 Pro Bowl.

Brandon Marshall's wife, Michi Nogami-Marshall, was arrested Friday on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Weeks after the engagement, according to police, the couple was seen hitting and kicking each other outside Marshall's Atlanta condominium.

Charges of disorderly conduct against Marshall and Nogami-Marshall were dismissed the same day.

On Friday, emergency services were called via 911 after Marshall was stabbed but were turned away when the dispatcher offered a ride to the hospital. Instead, Marshall was taken to the hospital in a car.

According to Broward County Sheriff's public information officer Veda Coleman-Wright, Nogami-Marshall was arrested at the couple's home. Nogami-Marshall did not drive Marshall to the hospital, according to police, but it was not clear who did or who called 911.

Coleman-Wright said no news conferences or further updates are scheduled for Saturday.

The NFL and the NFL Players' Association said through their respective spokesmen that they couldn't confirm any details of the situation.

"Sorry. Don't have any info on it," NFL executive Greg Aiello said in an email to ESPN.

Marshall, acquired from the Broncos last April to become Miami's biggest offensive threat, led the Dolphins in receiving yards in 2010 with 1,014 despite missing two games with a hamstring injury.

Marshall signed a four-year deal worth $47.5 million, with $24 million guaranteed, when he joined the Dolphins.

But the offseason headlines didn't stop at his trade and big contract for Marshall last year.

With the NFL's lockout looming even then, Marshall said in August he would attempt to play in the NBA if games were canceled.

"Not pursuing -- I'm going to be on an NBA team," Marshall said. "Seriously."
The NFL lockout entered its 43rd day on Saturday.

"There's not going to be any football," Marshall predicted in August. "If there's a lockout, I have to find a job.

I figure the Broncos will be a better choice because of the welcome home cheer I'll get -- a couple of boos at first. I'm gonna get with a basketball coach and get to work, prepare for the lockout."

A fourth-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos out of Central Florida in 2006, Marshall was named to the Pro Bowl with the Broncos in 2008 and 2009.

But his top-flight performance was often overshadowed by turbulence in Denver.

Marshall was suspended by the team for the entire 2009 preseason after a series of behaviors detrimental to the team. The final straw came when a Denver television station filmed Marshall walking when his teammates were running, punting a football in protest and swatting away balls during a training-camp passing drill.

Marshall was also one of the instigators of the fight that led to teammate Darrent Williams' shooting death on New Year's Eve in 2006.

And Marshall's history of arrests includes disorderly conduct, drunken driving, and a number of incidents of alleged domestic violence.