Freshman receiver arrested on domestic battery charges


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Trojans’ freshman wide receiver Joseph Lewis IV was arrested Monday afternoon on charges of domestic violence, ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura reported. Los Angeles County Jail records show Lewis was booked at 4:45 p.m. and released early Tuesday morning. USC announced he is currently suspended from team activities.

According to USCFootball.com, Lewis is suspected of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant. A corporal injury is defined as a domestic battery that leaves a visible injury on the victim. The initial booking sheet said the arrest was made at 2 p.m. in Los Angeles and that the bail was set at $50,000. The felony charge carries a maximum punishment of four years in prison if Lewis is found guilty. Lewis is set to appear in court on March 6.

According to Bonagura, LAPD officer Mike Lopez stated that the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office in the near future. The LAPD did not release any specific details about the incident.

A five-star recruit out of Los Angeles’ Hawkins High School, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound player was 247Sports’ fourth-ranked wide receiver and 31st-ranked overall prospect in the class of 2017.

Lewis saw minimal playing time in his debut season appearing in three games and catching four passes for 39 yards. Against Washington State, Lewis recorded two catches for 21 yards, with a long of 14.

He was positioned to take on an expanded role next season with the departures of receivers senior Steven Mitchell Jr. and junior Deontay Burnett, who declared early for the NFL Draft.

“USC takes all reports of domestic abuse seriously and is cooperating fully with the law enforcement investigation,” a USC spokesperson said in a statement e-mailed to the Daily Trojan. “While this student code of conduct issue is being investigated, the student has been suspended from all football-related activities. Student disciplinary records and student conduct proceedings are confidential at USC and protected by law.”

USC is scheduled to begin spring practice in early March. It is unclear if Lewis will be able to participate, given his current suspension.

Redshirt freshman Tyler Vaughns and sophomore Michael Pittman Jr. will return as the team’s top two leading receivers from last season.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article contained a photo of a player that was incorrectly identified as Joseph Lewis. The photo has been removed. The Daily Trojan regrets the error.