Colts' Chris McCain denies battery charges

INDIANAPOLIS – Recently signed Indianapolis Colts defensive end Chris McCain denied committing battery after two misdemeanor charges were filed against him in California this week.

The charges stem from an alleged incident on Jan. 7, when he was still a member of the Los Angeles Chargers.

McCain is accused of spitting on and grabbing the neck of a woman, according to Los Angeles City Attorney documents obtained by the Indianapolis Star. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles on July 13.

But McCain told the Indianapolis Star he had no knowledge of the incident and was unaware of the case’s existence until news reports surfaced Tuesday. He also said he had never heard of the woman identified as the alleged victim.

“She is lying,” McCain said.

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McCain also said no investigators have contacted him about the matter.

“No one has contacted me about anything,” he said. “No cops, no one. No one has talked to me.”

Because no police report was made available, no details about the incident — beyond the allegations — are contained in the documents. The alleged circumstances remain unclear.

The Colts, who signed McCain last month, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

One confusing aspect of the story, according to the Los Angeles Times, is that the Chargers knew about the allegation months ago and referred it to the league office. It’s not clear whether the Colts knew of the issue before signing McCain.

McCain, 26, figures to be a key member of the Colts’ defensive line in 2018. He expected to remain with the Chargers this fall, but the team rescinded its restricted free agent tender in April, making him an unrestricted free agent. The Colts, with their traditional 4-3 defensive scheme, seemed a good fit for McCain.

“Speed is everything and here they are coaching speed and effort,” McCain said last week. “And that’s everything that I have — tenacity, speed, effort and hustling every play.”

IndyStar reporter Stephen Holder can be found on Twitter at @HolderStephen. IndyStar reporter Holly Hays contributed to this report.