Arizona Cardinals asst. coach placed on leave over domestic battery charges

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — An assistant coach for the Arizona Cardinals has been placed on administrative leave over domestic battery charges stemming from an incident in early May.

First reported by ESPN, running backs coach James Saxon is charged with two counts of domestic battery, one of which is a felony. According to the probable cause affidavit reviewed by ESPN, the charges stemmed from what began as an argument at an Indianapolis-area Costco store on May 7. That argument continued later at a home, where Saxon allegedly assaulted a woman in front of two children.

Per the woman’s account in the probable cause affidavit, she says Saxon pushed her a number of times, at one point causing her to fall into the garage door. She also alleges that Saxon yelled at her during the argument, saying, “You got your gun? You might as well just shoot me now!”

Police opened a case later that month and charges were filed. Court records show an arrest warrant was filed, then later recalled in early June and Saxon posted a $2,000 bond. He was later ordered to wear a GPS monitoring device, which was removed last month.

Training Camp for the Cardinals began on July 26 and Saxon was still coaching. Once the charges became public this week, he was placed on leave. The Cardinals released the following statement on Friday:

“We are aware of the incident and notified the NFL as required. The matter is currently under review pursuant to league policies. After consultation with the league office, James has been placed on paid administrative leave. We will have no further comment pending additional proceedings.”

Saxon has coached in the NFL since 2000, following an eight-year career as a player. He was hired by the Cardinals in February of 2019.

If convicted on the felony charge, he could face anywhere from six months to more than two years in prison and a possible fine up to $10,000. The lesser charge could mean up to one year in prison and a $5,000 fine. Another court hearing is scheduled for later this month.

It’s the second time this week the team has had to deal with off-field, criminal charge-related matters. On Wednesday, wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown was arrested for criminal speeding after troopers say he was driving 126 miles per hour on Loop 101 in north Phoenix.

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