Assault complaint against quarterback Manziel goes to Dallas grand jury

By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS, April 19 (Reuters) - A domestic violence complaint accusing former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel of beating his ex-girlfriend will be presented to a Dallas County grand jury this week, the local district attorney's office said on Tuesday. The former Heisman Trophy winner, 23, is being investigated on suspicion of hitting, kidnapping and threatening to kill 23-year-old Colleen Crowley in January, police said. The grand jury is expected to convene on Thursday. A decision on the case, which could bring a class A misdemeanor assault-domestic violence charge, will likely be announced on Monday, a spokeswoman for Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk said. Manziel, known as "Johnny Football" during his standout college years at Texas A&M University, was released by the Browns in March. During his two seasons with the National Football League team, his reputation for partying made headlines and he was used only sporadically as the starting quarterback. In a police report released in early February, Crowley told officers Manziel hit her after they met friends at a Dallas hotel in late January and again on the same night when they were driving back to her home in Fort Worth. Manziel has not spoken to media about the case. "Colleen was struck several times by Johnathan (Manziel), including a strike to the left ear," according to the report from the Fort Worth Police Department. The quarterback hit Crowley so hard he caused a ruptured eardrum, she said, according to court papers. He also threatened to kill her and himself, she added. (Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza, additional reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Dallas; Editing by Matthew Lewis)