On May 13, 2014, Hardy was arrested for assault and communicating threats, after he was alleged to have assaulted an ex-girlfriend by grabbing her, throwing her into furniture, strangling her, and threatening to kill her.
[4][25] On July 15, a judge found him guilty of assault and communicating threats, and sentenced him to 18 months' probation, suspending a 60-day jail sentence.
[4][26] When Hardy appealed the decision, requesting a jury trial, the victim failed to appear in court to testify. As a result, the prosecutor's office dropped the charges, citing their inability to locate the victim, and "reliable information" that the two parties had reached a civil settlement.
[27][28]
Hardy's arrest and trial was the focus of considerable controversy, as news media drew comparisons to other NFL-related domestic violence cases, including those against other NFL players.
[4][29] Panthers coach Ron Rivera initially told news media that he was comfortable having Hardy play, but on September 14, 2014, Hardy was deactivated.
[30] On September 17, 2014, he was placed on the exempt list by the league, which meant that he could continue to draw his salary but was prohibited in taking part in any team activities.
[28][31] He would never play another game for the Panthers.
On April 22, 2015, NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell suspended Hardy for 10 games, after the league's two-month-long investigation found that there was "sufficient credible evidence" that Hardy had engaged in conduct which "violated NFL policies in multiple respects and with aggravating circumstances." The league's investigation had concluded that Hardy used physical force in at least four instances, including placing his hands around the victim's neck with enough pressure to leave visible marks, and that his actions were "a significant act of violence in violation of the Personal Conduct Policy."
[28]
On July 10, 2015, an arbiter reduced Hardy's suspension from ten games to four games.
[28]
On November 5, 2015, the domestic violence charges against Hardy were
expunged from his record.
[32] The following day,
Deadspin released police photographs of Hardy's ex-girlfriend's injuries.
[33]