Here's the story from TMZ's website.
Look, being a journalism student, I always take anything that media outlets like TMZ report with a large grain of salt - I encourage you to do the same. However, these are very serious allegations and must be taken seriously. The site linked to has a scanned copy of the complaint that his girlfriend filed and upon first read, it appears to be legitimate. Obviously, Steven Jackson is a great player and has never been in serious trouble with the law. If proved to be true, these allegations have huge implications for Jackson's career and his future with the Rams (see: four pillars). However, I have to give Jackson the benefit of the doubt until more information comes out. Stay tuned.
[Update 1:28 p.m. by kevinramsfan]: Mike Florio of profootballtalk.com says that Jackson has not been arrested.
[Update 1:36 p.m. by kevinramsfan]: Oh how fast news travels in convergent media. Now CBS sports now says it has obtained the same police report and is reporting the same news as TMZ. At least for me, this lends the story a little more weight.
[Note by VanRam, 01/28/10 4:55 PM EST ] I've been out of the loop this afternoon, but I'm chiming in with my two cents. These kind of accusations are always a nasty thing to hear, especially when they involve a popular player or personality, just ask Christian Bale. A "he said, she said" argument is usually a no-win situation. The one thing that seems a little fishy to me is that the report was filed this week, Wednesday to be exact. Jackson's son was born in March. Domestic violence is a serious enough charge that waiting 10 months to file a charge demands an explanation.
Mike Sando has a post up wondering about the potential ramifications (no pun intended) of the situation. He says the accusation makes it harder for the Rams to pursue other players with character issues, something GM Billy Devaney said they'd have more flexibility with this year. I think it's still a little premature for a conclusion like that. (Though I think the Vick thing is the wrong move for other reasons). What if Jackson is exonerated of the charges? What if there's more to it than meets the eye? Of course, the court of public opinion is usually so quick to drag a name through the mud that exoneration is often little more than a personal victory for the accused.
I hope at the very least you'll withhold your judgement on Jackson until we know more about what happened.
[Note by VanRam, 01/28/10 6:10 PM EST ] Jackson's statement:
It's disheartening that I have to address any alleged allegations 10 months later, but I have read the accusations made by Supriya Harris, and they are untrue.
The accusations are especially hurtful because those who truly know me know that those actions would be out of character for me.