Bears release Ray McDonald after arrest on domestic violence, child endangerment charges

Troubled Chicago Bears defensive end Ray McDonald was arrested Monday on charges of domestic violence and child endangerment after an incident in Santa Clara, Calif., leading the team to release him this afternoon.

Santa Clara police said in a release that McDonald allegedly assaulted a woman while she was holding a baby.

The Bears announced McDonald's release at 1:30 p.m. PT, roughly six hours after McDonald's arrest.

"We believe in 2nd chances, but when we signed Ray we were very clear what our expectations were if he was to remain a Bear," Chicago general manager Ryan Pace said in a statement. "He was not able to meet the standard and the decision was made to release him."

McDonald was arrested at approximately 7 a.m. PT in San Jose, said Santa Clara police spokesman Kurt Clarke. The incident happened earlier in Santa Clara, where he previously had played for the San Francisco 49ers.

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This is McDonald's second domestic violence arrest in the past year, though prosecutors declined to file charges stemming from an incident with McDonald's fiancée that occurred during the player's 30th birthday party in August 2014. The alleged victim in that case, who was 10 weeks pregnant, refused to cooperate with a follow up investigation, and the district attorney said there was "insufficient evidence" in that case.

McDonald remained on San Francisco's active roster throughout that investigation, but he was released in December, hours after San Jose police confirmed McDonald was named as a suspect in a sexual assault investigation. He was never arrested in that case, but it remains open.

Meanwhile, he signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Bears in late March, after his agent told teams they were expecting McDonald to be cleared in the sexual assault case. He also filed a civil lawsuit against his accuser in hopes of clearing his name. She has since filed a cross-complaint in which she additionally accused San Francisco linebacker Ahmad Brooks of sexual assault, claiming Brooks "groped her in a sexual manner" when she was partying at McDonald's home after meeting Niners players at a San Jose bar.

After McDonald signed with the Bears in March, team owner George McCaskey told reporters that the team looked into McDonald by talking to his mother and college coach, Urban Meyer, and by speaking to McDonald directly.

"I was impressed with how sincere he was and how motivated he is," McCaskey said at the time. "He understands, I think, that he could have well been facing the end of his football career. And he loves football. And he wants that career to continue."

That might be out of McDonald's control now, as McDonald will likely be subject to the NFL's new personal conduct policy, approved by owners in December, which carries enhanced punishment for domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse incidents. The policy prescribes a minimum six game suspension, with escalators for extenuating circumstances or repeat offenders.

The NFL has already shown it will punish a player despite legal resolution when it suspended defensive end Greg Hardy, now with the Dallas Cowboys, for 10 games as a result of his domestic violence incident last year while he was with the Carolina Panthers. Hardy was convicted by a judge, but appealed and had the case dropped when the victim could not be located.

Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones.