Green Bay woke up to off-field drama this week as Packers running back Josh Jacobs, 28, turned himself in to the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department on Tuesday and was booked into the Brown County Jail following a weekend disturbance the department says it investigated. The arrest landed in the middle of the team’s offseason program and has already drawn national scrutiny.
According to a Hobart-Lawrence press release reported by WBAY, officers were dispatched on Saturday morning. After investigating, officers arrested Jacobs on May 26 and booked him on five counts: battery, domestic abuse; criminal damage to property, domestic abuse; disorderly conduct, domestic abuse; strangulation and suffocation; and intimidation of a victim. The department is treating the case as an active, ongoing investigation, according to local reporting.
Jacobs’ attorneys have issued a statement denying the allegations and urging “fairness and restraint” while authorities continue their work, a message that went out quickly once the police release hit the wires. CBS Sports and other outlets published the defense team’s comments alongside initial details of the arrest.
The Packers said they are aware of the situation and are declining further comment for now. The NFL stated it is “aware of the report and has been in contact with the club,” with both responses circulated by league reporters on social media. Those statements were shared publicly by NFL reporter Tom Pelissero. Tom Pelissero on X.
What the charges mean in Wisconsin
Under Wisconsin law, strangulation and suffocation is a felony. Section 940.235 makes it a Class H felony to intentionally impede normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to another person’s throat or by blocking the nose or mouth. Prosecutors have used that statute in recent domestic violence cases, and it does not require visible injury or loss of consciousness for a charge to be filed. The full language appears on the Wisconsin Legislature site. Wis. Stat. §940.235.
Next steps and context
Authorities say the investigation remains active, and prosecutors in Brown County will decide whether to move forward with formal charges. If they do, the case would proceed to an initial appearance and pretrial hearings. Separately, the NFL can conduct its own review under the personal conduct policy, which allows the league to impose discipline regardless of how the criminal case unfolds.
On the field, Jacobs entered the offseason as the Packers’ top returning rusher after a 2025 campaign in which he ran for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns, according to his player profile. Pro-Football-Reference lists his career production and recent numbers.
The Hobart-Lawrence Police Department has asked the public to avoid sharing details that could compromise the investigation. Local officials and reporters say updates will be provided as more information is released. For now, the case sits at the intersection of the criminal justice system and NFL discipline, under a spotlight that is not fading anytime soon.
