Sept. 16--The husband of UFC star Brittney Palmer could be required to attend anger management classes after being arrested for allegedly slamming his wife to the floor and pinning her against a bed while grabbing her neck.
Prosecutors have declined to file charges in the case.
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department arrested Palmer's husband, Aaron Zalewski, on June 12 after she told investigators he threw her to the ground several times and pushed her face-first into a mattress as she struggled to breathe, according to an arrest warrant obtained by The Times.
Palmer, a model who has appeared as a scantily clad "octagon girl" circling the ring in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, told police Zalewski became angry after overhearing a casting director address her as "Babe," according to the warrant. The remark spawned an "ongoing argument" in which Zalewski threatened to divorce her if she did not abandon her Hollywood career, the warrant said.
The dispute escalated when Palmer refused to sign a divorce agreement or hand back her wedding ring. Soon, Zalewski realized Palmer was recording him with her cellphone and a "tug of war" over the phone began, according to the warrant. After Palmer packed her bags at his behest, she tried to leave his Hollywood Hills home but he blocked her escape, the warrant said.
Police said Palmer suffered abrasions on the chest, elbow, stomach and back.
Described as an investor and former financial analyst on his website, Zalewski, 35, was arrested by LAPD officers on suspicion of attempted murder and released the following day, according to jail records.
Three days after arresting Zalewski, LAPD officers raided his home and recovered several rounds of ammunition, according to a search warrant filed in L.A. County Superior Court.
In the affidavit included in the search warrant, an LAPD officer wrote that Zalewski was under investigation for several alleged crimes, including attempted murder, spousal battery, criminal threats, false imprisonment and obstruction of use of wireless communication.
After reviewing the case for a possible charge of domestic violence, the L.A. County district attorney's office declined to file felony charges against Zalewski, said Shiara Davila-Morales, an office spokeswoman.
"The evidence did not support a felony filing," Davila-Morales said in an email.
The case was forwarded to the city attorney's office for consideration of misdemeanor domestic violence, she said.
After reviewing the case, the city attorney's office declined to file formal charges and scheduled an informal proceeding Sept. 29 before a hearing officer, said Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for the city attorney.
The hearing officer could decide to file charges or recommend alternative resolutions, including anger management classes, community service or restitution, Wilcox said.
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