University of Houston football player Carmello Brooks appeared in court Monday while facing two criminal cases, including an allegation that he assaulted a pregnant person. The woman connected to that charge, Nariah Harley, asked for the case to be dismissed and said police misunderstood the encounter.
Harley told the court that she and Brooks argued inside his apartment last week. She said Brooks had asked her to leave several times before carrying her outside. Court records indicate University of Houston police responded to the apartment, and Harley said Brooks contacted 911 because she would not leave.
Brooks’ attorney, Brent Wasserstein, said prosecutors will review the emergency call and police body-camera recordings from the response. He said he expects the footage to support Brooks’ account, though the court has not yet made a ruling on the charge.
Harley said Brooks is the father of her baby and that she does not view herself as a victim. She asked that prosecutors dismiss all of the charges so both of them could continue with their lives.
The second case concerns an August incident in northwest Harris County. Brooks is accused of damaging a door handle after a dispute involving another woman and her sister, and prosecutors filed a criminal mischief charge. Family members said Brooks and those women grew up together in Killeen and attended high school together.
