Timbers offered inducements to Polo’s estranged wife to not pursue charges, report says

In a report from ESPN’s U.S. Soccer Correspondent Jeff Carlisle, Genessis Alarcon has stated that the Portland Timbers sent two representatives to dissuade her from pressing charges against Polo. This report comes two weeks after an alleged domestic violence incident involving former Timber Andy Polo was first reported by Diario AS.

According to Alarcon, Timbers’ head of security Jim McCausland and an unnamed female attorney visited her home around June 6, 2021, and “assured her that they would make sure that she and her two children would be housed and fed, but that it was understood that this would be done in exchange for her not pursuing a criminal case against Polo.”

“They were going to make sure that Andy was going to be responsible for me and my kids but it never happened. I was told this would be in exchange for not pressing charges,” Alarcon told ESPN.

In response, the Timbers acknowledged that they did in fact offer support to Alarcon and the children after the incident, but that “there was never any suggestion — expressly or implicitly — that the support was offered in exchange for consideration by Ms. Alarcon. The Timbers would never condone or participate in such conduct.”

However, on Thursday, March 10, 2022, Alarcon’s lawyers released an audio recording of the Timbers representatives’ visit to her home back in June 2021:

In case you are unable to listen to the audio, the unnamed female attorney says, “...That [District attorney’s] office may call you to see if you want to pursue those charges [against Polo]. And again, you can say ‘yes I want to’ or ‘no I do not.’ Of course, we’re [The Portland Timbers] hoping you say ‘no you do not.’”

Alarcon has since filed a domestic violence lawsuit in U.S. District Court that “makes claims of assault, battery and negligence, and seeks ‘fair compensation for noneconomic damages in an amount determined by the jury to be reasonable, and taxable costs.’” Polo was served notice of the said lawsuit on March 9.

The full details of Jeff Carlisle’s report can be read here.

For more information on the situation:

Andy Polo suspended by MLS amid domestic violence allegations

Andy Polo’s contract terminated by Portland Timbers

The Athletic: Timbers did not notify the league office of initial Polo domestic violence allegations

If you or somebody you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can access resources at the Oregon DHS website: www.oregon.gov/dhs/abuse/domestic/pages/index.aspx, or the National Domestic Hotline website: www.thehotline.org.

If you need immediate assistance, you can call 9-1-1; or, for shelter services, the Call to Safety Crisis Line at 1-888-235-5333.