Two days after defensive end Ray McDonald was arrested on felony domestic violence charges, San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh told KNBR-AM on Tuesday that the organization would offer "no tolerance" for abuse.
"I'll be very clear," Harbaugh said, per CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco. "You ask me how I feel about domestic violence. I can be very clear about that. If someone physically abuses a woman and/or physically or mentally abuses or hurts a child, then there's no understanding. There's no tolerance for that."
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Asked if the 49ers would allow a player guilty of domestic violence to stay on the roster, Harbaugh answered: "We would not. We can be very clear."
"There are going to be two principles at play here," Harbaugh said. "And one is, I'll speak for myself, I'll speak for the 49ers: We'll not tolerate domestic violence. The second principle, we're firm believers in due process. And I ask for your understanding on those two principles."
The Sacramento Bee reported that police arrived at McDonald's home on Sunday at approximately 2 a.m., where a party was being held in honor of the player's birthday. McDonald appeared to have an altercation with his fiancee, who showed police bruising on her body. McDonald was then taken into custody. Other Niners players were in attendance at the party, according to the report.
With 10 arrests on the team since 2012, Harbaugh said the organization would do "everything in our power to make sure there isn't a pattern forming."
After NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently announced a significant change to the league's Personal Conduct Policy in regard to domestic violence, McDonald could be in for a substantial punishment.
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