49ers' Ray McDonald Not Charged In Domestic Violence Case; DA Cites 'Lack Of Cooperation' From Alleged Victim

San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Ray McDonald will not face criminal charges for his domestic violence arrest in August. The Santa Clara County, California, District Attorney’s Office cited noncooperation from McDonald’s pregnant fiancée among the reasons.

“Conflicting versions of the event, a lack of verifiable eyewitnesses and a significant lack of cooperation from Jane Doe: We cannot prove a crime occurred,” a Santa Clara DA's spokesperson said in a statement, according to TMZ Sports. “In this particular case, there were particular pieces of information missing. … We really don’t know what happened between the two parties.”

McDonald was arrested Aug. 31 at his San Jose home during a birthday party held in his honor. His fiancée, whose name was not released, purportedly suffered visible injuries in the incident, including bruising to the arms and neck, police said. The 49ers star was booked on suspicion of felony domestic violence and released after he posted $25,000 bail.

“I can’t say too much, not right now, but the truth will come out,” McDonald said at the time. “Everybody knows the kind of person that I am. I’m a good-hearted person.”

Authorities responded to a similar domestic dispute in May that occurred at the address McDonald shares with his fiancée. During that incident, a woman grabbed a gun and held it at her side during a heated argument with a man. Neither McDonald nor his fiancée were named in a police report, and no arrests were made.

McDonald’s arrest in August occurred just days after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced changes to the league’s disciplinary policy for players and employees found to have engaged in domestic violence. The revamped policy – crafted amid public outrage over the NFL’s initial two-game suspension of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice – stated that any league employee who engages in domestic violence would receive a six-game suspension for a first offense and an indefinite suspension for a second offense. McDonald was never suspended for his arrest.