Editor’s note: This story contains alleged accounts of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is a survivor of domestic abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or at www.thehotline.org.
A video of former NFL running back Zac Stacy allegedly abusing the mother of his young child was made public this week. Days after it surfaced, Stacy was arrested on multiple felony charges.
Stacy was arrested Thursday morning at Orlando International Airport and faces charges of aggravated battery and criminal mischief stemming from the video, which was recorded by the victim's home surveillance system.
She posted the videos to Facebook with the caption: “Vanderbilt’s finest Zac Stacy violent domestic abuse in front of our 5 month old son.”
The videos were picked up by TMZ and other outlets.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, prosecutors state that Stacy left Oakland, Fla., where the victim lives, "immediately" after the attack, which occurred on Nov. 13, depicted in the video that took place. On Thursday, Stacy flew back from Nashville to Orlando, with his attorney, saying he had the "intention of turning himself in" after learning of the warrant for his arrest.
Stacy's bond is set at $10,150. The judge presiding over Stacy's case has determined that he will have to surrender his passport if he is released, and he has been ordered to avoid all contact with the victim, and cannot possess weapons or firearms.
Stacy said that he intends to return to Tennessee if he is released, per the report.
According to an Oakland Police Department statement, officers responded to a call about the situation at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET.
"Officers arrived on scene within two minutes and were able to determine a domestic violence battery had taken place and that the suspect, Zackary Stacy, had fled the scene. Officers continued to search for Stacy, and the case was forwarded to the investigations unit of the Oakland Police Department to establish probable cause to secure a warrant for Stacy’s arrest," the statement says, via Yahoo Sports.
The affidavit filed by Oakland police detective Shawn Dozier describes the video in detail.
Per the Tennessean, Dozier wrote that the video showed Stacy "strike the victim twice to the back of her head with the first strike with an unknown object in his hand," knocking her to the ground with a "closed fist to the back of the head." He then "picked her up like a 'rag doll' and threw her into a 65-inch television," which fell on her, according to the affidavit.
After playing college football at Vanderbilt, Stacy spent two years with the St. Louis Rams and one season with the Jets. He was out of the NFL by 2015. He attempted football comebacks in the CFL and AAF in '18 and '19, respectively.
Stacy served as an ambassador for the Music City Bowl after winning the game's MVP award in 2012. The bowl cut ties with the running back after the video was published by TMZ.
