Trial resumes for Cook, charged with abuse

MINNEAPOLIS, March 15 (UPI) -- Trial resumed Thursday in Minneapolis for Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook, accused of hitting and choking his girlfriend Oct. 22.

Cook, 25, was arrested on charges of domestic assault by strangulation and third-degree assault against his then-girlfriend Chantel Baker, 21. The two have differing accounts regarding who began the altercation.

The judge has asked jurors to also determine whether or not Cook was guilty of a misdemeanor count of domestic assault with intent to cause fear, or a misdemeanor count of domestic assault with intent to cause bodily harm.

Jurors have also been asked to determine whether or not Cook acted in self-defense, Pioneer Press (St.Paul, Minn.) reported. If Cook is found to have been acting in self-defense, he must be acquitted of the domestic abuse charges, the judge said.