San Francisco 49ers release star linebacker Reuben Foster after domestic violence arrest

Foster, 24, is in jail with no bail set after his latest run-in with the authorities

Reuben Foster has been released by the 49ers (Getty)

The San Francisco 49ers have released 2017 first-round pick Reuben Foster after he was arrested at the team hotel on a domestic violence charge.

Foster was arrested in April on domestic violence charges that were eventually dropped but the 49ers' top brass including general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan warned that the team had a zero-tolerance policy on the issue. After the latest arrest, San Francisco have cut ties with the player.

Despite being considered one of the best players in the draft when he came out of college, Foster dropped to the end of the first round owing to character concerns and brushes with the law. Foster was sent home from the NFL Draft Scouting Combine after an altercation with medical personnel. He also failed a drug test at the same event.

Since turning pro, Foster has encountered several legal issues including possession of marijuana, domestic violence and weapon charges in 2018 alone.

An arrest report obtained by NFL.com from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office stated Foster was booked into jail at 11:11 p.m. ET on a domestic violence charge stemming from an incident involving his on-off girlfriend.. Foster was arrested by local police at 9:10 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Tampa where the team is staying ahead of their clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday evening.

The victim told police that during a verbal altercation with Foster, he smacked her phone out of her hand, pushed her in the chest and slapped her face with an open palm. Officers noted abrasions to the victim's face and collarbone.

Domestic violence has long been an issue among American football players, though teams are now adopting more hardline stances. It was only three years ago that the Dallas Cowboys gave Greg Hardy an $11m contract despite strangling his ex-girlfriend sufficiently that he left visible marks on her neck.

Super Bowl winner Ray Rice had his contract terminated by the Baltimore Ravens in 2014 after punching his girlfriend and leaving her unconscious in a casino elevator.