Chris Beard arrest: What to know after felony charge against former Texas basketball coach dismissed

Kevin Skiver

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Chris Beard arrest: What to know after felony charge against former Texas basketball coach dismissed image

Texas fired men's basketball coach Chris Beard in early January after his December arrest on a count of felony domestic violence. 

Austin police arrested Beard early on Dec. 12. 2022. The Travis County Sheriff's Office said he was booked on a third-degree felony count of assault on family/household member impede breath circulation.

On Feb. 15, 2023, the charge was dismissed by the local prosecutor. Here is a timeline of events in the case, from the dismissal back to Beard's arrest.

Wednesday, Feb. 15 

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza announced the dismissal of the assault charge against Beard. 

Garza said in a statement (per the Austin American-Statesman) that his office reviewed the evidence and decided that it could not prove assault beyond a reasonable doubt. The DA said he also took into consideration the wishes of Randi Trew, Beard's fiancée.

Trew said a few days after the dispute that she never wanted Beard prosecuted. 

"Chris did not strangle me, and I told that to law enforcement that evening," she said at the time. "Chris has stated that he was acting in self-defense, and I do not refute that. I do not believe Chris was trying to intentionally harm me in any way. It was never my intent to have him arrested or prosecuted. We appreciate everyone's support and prayers during this difficult time."

Perry Minton, Beard's attorney, said in a statement he was pleased with the outcome.

"Everyone knows that Coach Beard has maintained his absolute innocence since the moment he was arrested,'' Minton said. "Additionally, this district attorney has a well-earned reputation for being very tough regarding domestic violence cases. The fact that Mr. Garza's review resulted in this determination so quickly says a lot. We are very pleased."

Thursday, Jan. 5

Beard was fired as Texas men's basketball head coach. 

"This has been a difficult situation that we've been diligently working through. Today I informed Mr. Beard of our decision to terminate him effective immediately," UT athletic director Chris Del Conte said in a statement.

"The matter is still under review, and our prosecutors are evaluating all of the evidence, including recent statements and all evidence collected by law enforcement," the Travis County District Attorney's Office said in a statement to ESPN. "Our office takes all allegations of domestic violence seriously; in each case, we are committed to working through the unique challenges presented."

Monday, Dec. 12 

According to the Austin American-Statesman, Austin police responded to a home at 2:07 a.m. following a disturbance call. Beard was still in jail as of 9 a.m. local time Monday. 

Austin police tweeted Beard's mugshot, along with a press release stating, "APD officers responded and located a woman who stated she had been assaulted and strangled by Christopher Michael Beard" after receiving a call at 12:15 a.m. 

In a follow-up on the investigation, APD released Beard was more specifically charged for Assault by Strangulation/Suffocation. Beard was booked into jail in Travis County.

Via Autullo, citing the police report, "The woman, who lives with Beard, told police the two had been arguing for days about their relationship. Beard told police that he has audio recordings showing he was not the primary aggressor. He was asked if he would be willing to share those audio recordings to which he said 'no.'" 

Texas released a statement that read: "The University is aware of the situation regarding Chris Beard. We are continuing to gather information and monitoring the legal process."

The school suspended Beard without pay "until further notice" and announced associate head coach Rodney Terry would coach against Rice on Monday night.

The Longhorns are 7-1 and No. 2 in the country in Beard's second season after leaving Texas Tech to take the job in Austin. 

Through attorney Perry Minton, Beard asserted his innocence, with Minton calling the arrest "inconceivable."

"Coach Beard is 100 percent innocent of these charges," Minton said Monday, per Tony Plohetski. "He should have never been arrested. The complainant wants him released immediately and all charges dismissed. It is truly inconceivable."

Per a video shared by Anwar Richardson, Beard's bond was set for $10,000 on Monday afternoon.

He did not have comment as he left the Travis County jail. 

Sam Jarden contributed to this report.

Kevin Skiver

Kevin Skiver Photo

Kevin Skiver has been a content producer at Sporting News since 2021. He previously worked at CBS Sports as a trending topics writer, and now writes various pieces on MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and college sports. He enjoys hiking and eating, not necessarily in that order.