Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon is wanted by police after a warrant was issued on a count of aggravated menacing.
The incident that led to the warrant allegedly happened in downtown Cincinnati one day before Cincinnati’s Divisional Round contest against the Buffalo Bills.
Joe Mixon Faces Misdemeanor
According to a photo of an affidavit released by Local 12, a Cincinnati news station, Mixon pointed a gun at a victim and stated, “you should be popped in the face. I should shoot you now. The police can’ get me.”
The Bengals have since released the following statement: “The club is aware misdemeanor charges have been raised against Joe Mixon. The club is investigating the situation and will not comment further at this time.”
The Enquirer reported Thursday evening that Mixon had not yet been processed into the Hamilton County Jail.
Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, told NFL Network late Thursday that the charge will be dropped Friday.
“It was a rush to judgement,” Schaffer told NFL Media. “They’re dropping the charges first thing in the morning. I really feel that the police have an obligation before they file charges — because of the damage that can be done to that person’s reputation — to do their work. They should be held to a higher standard. Because I don’t play with people’s lives.”
This would not be Mixon’s first criminal charge.
He pleaded guilty in 2014 to misdemeanor assault stemming from an incident in Norman, Okla. when he was a freshman at Oklahoma. The day after his 18th birthday, he punched a woman, causing her to break bones and suffer injuries that resulted in surgery.
Mixon received a one-year deferred sentence and was ordered to undergo counseling and fulfill 100 hours of community service.
Mixon was suspended for his entire freshman year but was allowed to play for the Sooners from 2015-2016.
During his final year on campus, he allegedly physically intimidated a parking attendant who was writing him a citation.
Despite this history, the Bengals selected Mixon in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has rushed for 5,378 yards and 40 touchdowns in his six-year NFL career.
Update: As of Friday, Feb. 3, the arrest warrant for Mixon has been dismissed, and the charge of aggravated menacing has been dropped, according to the city prosecutor’s office. The case may be refiled at a later date.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.