Quintayvious Hutchins was charged Wednesday with misdemeanor assault and battery on a family or household member after an alleged incident Tuesday at Voute Hall on Commonwealth Avenue in Chestnut Hill. He was arraigned Wednesday morning in Newton District Court, where a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf and he was released on a promise to return for the next hearing in the case.
The Patriots said they were aware of the report involving Hutchins and were gathering additional information, adding that they would not have further comment at the time. The 23-year-old, of Needham Heights, was drafted by New England in the seventh round with the 247th overall pick just days earlier, on April 25, after spending the last five years at Boston College as an edge rusher.
Hutchins spoke with reporters after being picked and said, “If I could be honest, I didn't think I was going to get a call,” before adding that the phone call from the Patriots “was like a dream come true, and hope and faith rising inside of me, knowing that I have another chance to go showcase my talent.” He described himself then as a dynamic special teams player, a role that gave him a path to the roster after growing up in Alabama and carving out his college career in Chestnut Hill.
The case now puts one of the Patriots’ late-round additions in the middle of an off-field matter that has to be sorted out before football questions can take over again. For New England, the next hearing will matter as much as any practice rep, because the team has only said it is still gathering facts.
