Kate Frese/NBAE via Getty Images

NBA Reopens Investigation into Lakers' Jaxson Hayes After Video from 2021 Surfaces

Timothy Rapp

The NBA has reopened its investigation into Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes regarding his arrest in 2021 for domestic violence, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

"We're obviously aware that the investigation has been reopened, and we're going to cooperate fully," Lakers head coach JJ Redick told reporters on Sunday. "But other than that, I'm not going to have another comment on that."

On Saturday, TMZ released surveillance footage from the incident involving Hayes and his then-girlfriend, Sofia Jamora. At one point, the video shows Hayes appearing to drag Jamora out of a doorway while she told him to stop and asked him to let go of her. In another moment from the footage, he's seen shoving her and spitting in her direction.

"I'm not going to let you hit me anymore," Jamora is heard saying to him at one point. "What the f--k do I look like, a punching bag?"

In 2022, Hayes—who was seen on body-cam footage resisting arrest after police were called for domestic violence—pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment and resisting an officer. He was sentenced to a year of weekly domestic violence classes, three years of probation and 450 hours of community service.

He was initially charged with 12 misdemeanors—three counts of inflicting corporal injury to a spouse and three counts of vandalism; two counts of domestic battery; and a count each of battery against an officer, false imprisonment, aggravated trespassing and resisting arrest.

Hayes told his arresting officers that he and Jamora were having an argument and that she had been throwing things at him.

The NBA did not discipline him after its own investigation into the matter.

On Tuesday, Jamora filed a lawsuit against Hayes and arresting LAPD officer Robert T. Tamate, claiming Tamate "previously met with Hayes' attorneys and was compensated monetarily by Hayes for unknown reasons."

"We understand that the NBA has a no-tolerance policy against domestic violence, and therefore the victim welcomes any further investigation into Hayes' actions and will cooperate with said investigation," a spokesperson for Jamora told McMenamin.

   

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