Javon Amiel Charleston (Lexington County Sheriff’s Department)
A USC football player is facing several charges after allegedly assaulting a woman by choking her and pushing her down a set of stairs at a West Columbia home earlier this week.
Javon Amiel Charleston, 22, is facing first-degree burglary and second-degree assault and battery charges.
On Sunday, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department responded to a West Columbia home in regards to an aggravated assault around 4:30 p.m. and found Charleston in the front seat of his car.
According to the incident report, after being out and having drinks, the woman texted Charleston. He contacted her back multiple times but was unable to reach her. Charleston knew the code to get in the woman’s home and she woke up to Charleston standing and looking over her and her date, who also slept in her bed. He got into a verbal argument with her date who then left the house.
Charleston chase after the woman’s date. He came back to the house after and was locked out, not allowing him to get back inside. He started shouldering the door, breaking it off of its hinges.
The woman alleges that the assault took place after he got in and that Charleston took her phone. She attempted to escape by climbing over a backyard fence to call for help. The incident report say Charleston yelled at her asking if she was “really running”.
Charleston told deputies he lived at the woman’s home for about a week but had no more belongings inside.
He is currently being held at the Lexington County Detention Center.
Charleston was a back-up defensive back for USC football.