by A member of the Louisville men’s basketball team that won the 1986 national championship was charged with strangulation following an arrest Thursday night.
Robbie Valentine, 59, is accused of choking his girlfriend during an argument at their home, according to an arrest citation from the Louisville Metropolitan Police. He pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance on Friday morning.
In the arrest citation, police said Valentine’s girlfriend discussed the idea of moving out while the couple had dinner on Thursday night. When they got back home, the quote said there was an argument and Valentine took his girlfriend’s phone and “threw her purse in the sink.”
“(Valentine) later threw her out of bed and proceeded to strangle her,” the quote reads. “The victim has pain/redness on the sides of her neck and bruising on the back of her neck.”
Alcohol was listed in the report as having been involved in the incident.
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Valentine was first charged with second-degree strangulation, a Class D felony, but according to online court documents, the charge was changed to first-degree (a Class C felony) during an arraignment hearing on Friday morning.
A $25,000 bond was set and Valentine on Friday paid the required 10% ($2,500), court documents state. Valentine was ordered not to have contact with the accuser. He is due to appear in court on February 20.
Valentine’s attorney, Brian Butler, declined to comment on the case on Friday afternoon.
Valentine played at Louisville from 1982 to 1986, helping the Cardinals reach four straight Final Four appearances in 1982 and 1983 under coach Denny Crum and win the NCAA title in 1986. U of L, Kenny Payne from 1985-86.
A native of Radcliff, Kentucky, Valentine was Senior Director of Sales for ASM Global, which manages KFC Yum! Center, since 2010. For decades, he has held a basketball camp for young people in the city during the summer.
ASM Global spokeswoman Sandra Moran told The Courier Journal that the company cannot comment on personal matters.
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