Prosecutors dropped a domestic violence charge against Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic on Friday, saying the decision by his wife to invoke marital privilege made it impossible for them to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
After his wife opted not to testify, the motion by prosecutors to admit 911 call information into evidence was denied, effectively ending their court case, they said.
“This situation is something prosecutors encounter quite often in matters involving domestic violence charges. We handled this case exactly as we would any other presenting a similar set of circumstances,” James Borghesani, chief of communications for Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden, said in a statement.
A lawyer representing Lucic did not immediately return a request for comment.
Lucic, a member of the Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup championship team, had been arrested on suspicion of assault and battery on a family member, which carries a maximum penalty of two-and-a-half years in prison.
According to a Boston Police Department report, Lucic appeared intoxicated when officers arrived at his North End apartment early Nov. 18 after his wife reported that he tried to choke her. Brittany Lucic told the responding officers that her husband had pulled her hair, but said he did not try to strangle her. She declined an offer of medical treatment.
He had been released on personal recognizance after pleading not guilty. As condition of his bail at the time, Lucic was prohibited from abusing his wife and from consuming alcohol.
After his arrest, the Bruins said that the six-foot-three, 236-pound Vancouver native was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team.
Before signing with the Bruins to return to Boston for the 2023-24 hockey season, Lucic played for the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.
–with a file from Global News