Published: 5/10/2019 6:50:16 PM
A former New England Patriots player was arrested Friday afternoon in Concord for violating a protective order and will remain in jail through the weekend.
Greg Spires, 44, of Cypress, Texas, is charged with stalking, a misdemeanor. He is being held without bail pending his arraignment Monday morning in Concord’s district court.
Spires’s ex-wife took out a protective order against him Thursday in Concord after he showed up twice at sporting events that she was attending for their daughter, Concord police said. Spires is accused of going to Concord High School during the school day Friday in violation of that order.
Police said Spires has a history of domestic violence. He was taken into custody without incident on the misdemeanor charge.
The Boston Globe reported in April 2016 that the former Patriots defensive end was ordered to stay away from his ex-wife after he sent her threatening text messages during a dispute over finances and visitation of their teenage daughter.
“No stopping until justice is served,’’ Spires wrote, according to copies of the text submitted to Quincy District Court Judge Mark Coven. “You have been stealing from me for a long time. This will not get better for you only worse. If you’re thinking about leaving you better go now. I’m coming!!!’’
The Globe reported at the time that the couple had been engaged in contentious litigation for more than a decade after beginning their divorce proceedings in 2005.
Spires was previously accused of assaulting his ex-wife in 2005 at their home in Canton, Mass. However, no charges were filed after he agreed to participate in anger management, the Globe reported.
Spires is a former defensive end who played three seasons in New England after the Patriots picked him in the third round of the 1998 NFL draft. He was released in 2001 and picked up by the Cleveland Browns for a season. He spent the next six years playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and helped them win a Super Bowl after the 2002 season.
(“Monitor” staff writer Nick Stoico contributed to this report.)