Kwame Harris, Former 49er, Charged With Domestic Violence After Allegedly Assaulting Ex-Boyfriend

Former 49ers and Raiders tackle Kwame Harris has been charged with felony domestic violence and assault after an incident involving a former boyfriend, lawyers said at a pretrial hearing on Monday.

The altercation occurred in August, when Harris was at dinner with his then-boyfriend, Dimitri Geier, at Su Hong restaurant in Menlo Park, Calif.

During the argument, Harris accused Geier of stealing his underwear. In the scuffle, Geier suffered several injuries that required the surgical placement of a metal plate in his head.

"Basically, they're having dinner together, and they get into a verbal dispute, and it gets violent from there," San Mateo County prosecutor Al Serrato said. "One of them had poured soy sauce onto the rice, and the verbal dispute had escalated."

Serrato said that the 6-foot-7, 240-pound Harris pinned the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Geier against a plate-glass window and hit him several times in the face and head.

The two apparently had an on-again, off-again relationship, according to Geier's attorney, Craig Charles, who said his client was visiting Harris in Los Angeles when the incident occurred.

Harris claimed that he was acting in self-defense. Upon being arrested, he pleaded not guilty and posted $75,000 bail, according to defense lawyer Alin Cintean.

Geier also filed a civil suit against Harris in October for an unspecified amount; thus far, Harris has denied the stipulations of the suit, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Huffington Post noted that Harris admitted that he and Geier were formerly in a relationship.

Harris is among several former NFL players who have come out as gay; however, none of them have done so while still playing professionally. Cintean said that while Harris identifies as gay, he prefers to keep that aspect of his life private.

Harris played five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and one season with the Oakland Raiders as an offensive tackle for both teams.

A San Mateo County judge has set Harris’ trial date for late April.