Ex-NFL offensive linesman Joe Staysniak has been arrested and charged for allegedly punching his son and choking his son’s boyfriend following a ‘domestic incident’ at the home of the former Indianapolis Colts player.
On Monday night, police were called to Staysniak’s property after he got himself involved in a ‘delayed domestic’ incident including his son, Lucas, and his boyfriend, per a probable cause affidavit in Indiana.
At 1:40 a.m., the 56-year-old was booked for battery, pointing a firearm, intimidation, strangulation and domestic battery, according to Hendricks County jail records.
Retired in 1996, Staysniak took up a role on sports radio WFNI’s ‘The Fan Morning Show’ until 2021.
His son, Lucas, told law enforcement that he was inside a parked vehicle near his home when his father approached him and tried to break into the car.
Once he yanked a passenger door open, Staysniak began assaulting Lucas and the other passenger, Lucas’ boyfriend, according to the former athlete’s son.
‘Lucas advised that his father opened the rear right passenger door and that when he did his he [sic] grabbed [passenger’s] hood and was choking him,’ the affidavit read.
‘Lucas stated that his father then punched him, causing his lip to bleed and then punched [passenger]. Lucas stated that his father then displayed a firearm and told he and [passenger] that they’re lucky he saw who it was.’
Following his arrest, Staysniak told police officers that he got involved in a brawl with his son only after taking ‘a call from a neighbor advising him there was a suspicious car in their front yard’, according to the affidavit.
The Ohio native further claimed that his son ‘tried to attack him’ and that he had no other choice but to ‘physically restrain’ him.
His wife then stepped in to intervene, according to Staysniak.
The passenger also told law enforcement that Staysniak pulled out a gun and had it ‘against the side of this face at one point’ during the altercation.
Staysniak revealed to officers that he did show the firearm during the incident, but denied gesturing it at anyone or threatening his son and the passenger with it.
DailyMail.com has contacted the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department for further comment.
Staysniak – a former Colts, San Diego Chargers, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals player – spent six seasons in the NFL after entering the league as a seventh-round draft pick in 1990.
He’s mostly remembered for his performances in Indiana, where he started all 16 games for the Colts during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. Staysniak was part of the Colts 1995 team that was led by quarterback ‘Captain Comeback’, Jim Harbaugh.
The Colts eventually lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1995 AFC Championship Game 20-16. By the end of his career, Staysniak recovered two fumbles in 66 games played in the NFL, starting 33 times.
