Hamed Haddadi and his Iranian girlfriend arrested after physical altercation
News Sources: The Memphis Grizzlies rookie and first Iranian player ever to make it to the NBA, Hamed Haddadi, has been arrested this week (as well as his girlfriend) in a domestic dispute.
Police say Hamed Haddadi of the Memphis Grizzlies and his girlfriend have been charged with assault following an altercation between the two.
Memphis police were called Thursday morning to a downtown apartment building and found Haddadi, a backup center from Iran, and his Iranian girlfriend with bruises and scratches. The arrest report says a verbal disagreement turned physical, and both Haddadi and Goolnaz “Asal” Karbalaei Nemat Moeeney were taken to the Regional Medical Center for treatment.
Another unconfirmed source provided more details: Upon arrival at the 12th-floor apartment, police found Karbalaei Nemat Moeeney — who was “extremely intoxicated,” according to the affidavit — bleeding from her head and hand. She had a cut near her right temple, another on her hand, a black eye and bruising around her neck.
Karbalaei Nemat Moeeney told police that Haddadi was upset after he saw her talking to another man. He choked her and shoved her against a wall, she said. A witness also told police that she saw Haddadi choking the woman.
When police questioned Haddadi, they found him with several scratches on his face and a wound on his hand. According to Haddadi, however, the dispute arose after an amorous attempt went awry, with the woman falling out of the bed. He said that prompted her to throw a soap dispenser at him, but that he deflected it back into her head, causing the laceration. Haddadi also said that she then threw other items at him before locking herself in the bathroom. He told police he kicked in the bathroom door out of fear that she may have been hurting herself with a knife.
A blog in August of 2008 expressed concern over Haddadi's management of personal and professional life in the U.S. "First Iranian Joins NBA, Good News? Not So Fast!"
