The ex-girlfriend of former running back Zac Stacy said that she now suffers from PTSD after she was assaulted by Stacy in front of their child.
According to Kristin Evans, their 5-month-old son has developed “behavioral changes” following the assault in her home last month.
Video of the assault instantly went viral on social media and Evans told The Sun that watching the assault has caused her to develop PTSD.
Evans, told the publication, “It’s incredibly difficult revisiting the pain.”
According to reports Evans, who is studying to become a psychologist, is concerned that her child’s presence during the attack will have long-term consequences.
“Will he remember the event itself? I doubt it,” Evans said.
“But your nervous system develops from the time the mother becomes pregnant until about five or six. So whatever he experiences early in his life will be a trigger or a trauma response. He will in some way be affected by this,” she said.
Evans added that her baby couldn’t sleep after the assault.
“He didn’t quite know what was going on but he was definitely affected by it,” Evans said. “And he’s definitely already had some behavioral changes already.”
Stacy was charged with aggravated battery in the second degree and criminal mischief in the third degree. He’s free on a $10,150 bond, but he’s not allowed to enter Florida.
In the now-viral video, the 30-year-old ex-football player hits Evans in the head and throws her around the room, crashing into a television and baby equipment.
Court documents show that “While she was still on the floor pleading for him to stop, he picked her up and body-slammed her onto a baby walker, causing the object to break.”
Evans claimed that Stacy had assaulted her when she was pregnant with their child in a restraining order.
She also stated that she is speaking out about the abuse in the hopes of assisting other victims and inspiring change.
“What [domestic abusers] want you to do is become silent because then it goes away,” Evans said. “If I stop fighting, then I’m gone and he’s gone and everyone can go back to their lives.”
She added, “I want to speak out for change. This issue isn’t going away, so we can keep it relevant until there are changes and bring awareness.”
