Liberty University football player arrested, charged with assault, strangulation

LYNCHBURG, Va. – A Liberty University redshirt freshman cornerback has been dismissed from the team after being arrested and charged on Wednesday for assault and strangulation, according to court records. 

The player, 19-year-old Keith Best, has been charged with two felonies, abduction by force and strangulation resulting in wound/injury; as well as two misdemeanors, assault and damaging a phone line to prevent a 911 call. 

Officers responded to the incident at a home on Wards Ferry Road around 2:40 a.m. Wednesday. 

A woman told police that she and her boyfriend, Best, got into an argument that escalated. She said he hit her, strangled her, and then took her cellphone when she threatened to call police. She also reported that he would not let her leave the room. 

The police report only mentions visible marks from an assault. It is not clear if the woman had to be medically treated. 

Best was dismissed from the Liberty University football team due to "a violation of team policy," according to a spokesperson. 

According to online jail records, Best is being held at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail and was booked at 4:35 a.m. Wednesday.