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Andruw Jones accused of battery

ATLANTA -- The wife of former Atlanta Braves star Andruw Jones accused him of dragging her down a staircase, grabbing her neck and saying he wanted to kill her, according to police records.

A police report obtained by The Associated Press said the fight happened around 1:30 a.m. on Christmas Day, after Nicole Jones asked her husband to help her prepare their suburban Atlanta home for Christmas morning.

Andruw Jones was free on bond after his arrest on a battery charge, according to Gwinnett County Jail records. It wasn't known Wednesday whether he has an attorney.

Nicole Jones told officers that she tried to escape upstairs, but her husband grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her down some stairs, got on top of her and said, "I want to kill you," according to the report.

"Due to Andruw's level of intoxication, Nicole said that she was able to push him back and move away from him," the report states. Nicole Jones then went to her parents' house.

Police said they found injuries on her neck, which they photographed for evidence.

When officers arrived at the Jones residence in the Sugarloaf Country Club in Duluth, they said he appeared confused about what had happened.

"We entered into the bedroom and announced 'Gwinnett County police,'" an officer wrote in the report.

"Andruw did not respond and it appeared as though he was passed out in his clothes," the officer wrote. "I touched Andruw on the arm and said 'Gwinnett County police, Andruw, we need to speak with you.' Andruw woke up and appeared dazed. He appeared heavily intoxicated and confused about why officers were standing in his bedroom."

Gwinnett County Detention Center records say Jones was booked into the jail around 3:45 a.m. and had been released on $2,400 bond by 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

Once one of the premier players in the big leagues, Jones broke into the majors with the Braves in 1996 and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1998 to 2007 as their center fielder. He has 434 career home runs over 17 seasons in the majors.

Jones spent last season with the New York Yankees, hitting .197 with 14 homers and 34 RBIs in what was primarily a reserve role.

Jones earlier this month signed a $3.5 million, one-year contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan's Pacific League.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.