Chicago Bears lineman Mario Edwards Jr. charged with misdemeanor assault

CHICAGO -- Bears defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. was issued a criminal summons on a charge of misdemeanor assault on a female, according to a spokesperson for the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office in North Carolina.

A court date has not yet been set, but the summons stems from an incident at the Hilton Charlotte City Center hotel on Oct. 17, the night before the Bears played the Carolina Panthers.

Police documents state officers responded to reports of a woman hitting a man with hand and scratching his forehead. Edwards and a woman were both determined to have bruises and scratches and both were listed as victims in the police report.

North Carolina court documents, obtained by TMZ, say the woman in question accused Edwards of hitting her eye and dragging her out of his hotel room after she began recording him during an argument. The woman claimed to be pregnant at the time of the attack and required hospitalization.

Peter Schaffer, Edwards' agent, denied that this client was involved in any wrongdoing.

"Mario Edwards doesn't condone domestic violence" Schaffer told TMZ. "At no time did Mario Edwards do anything that raised to the level of domestic violence, or any violence."

The Bears released a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

"We are aware of the situation involving Mario Edwards Jr. We are doing our due diligence to thoroughly review and understand the facts. We take any allegations of this nature very seriously, both internally and with the NFL."

The matter remains under review of the league's personal conduct policy.

Edwards, 26, signed with the Bears after the New Orleans Saints cut him in September. Edwards registered two sacks in the Bears' 36-7 victory over the Houston Texans last Sunday, and has four sacks on the season.