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Damon Arnette Reportedly Released by Chiefs After Being Arrested on Assault Charge
January 29, 2022
The Kansas City Chiefs reportedly released cornerback Damon Arnette after he was arrested Friday night in Las Vegas for allegedly threatening a parking valet with a gun.
TMZ Sports reported Saturday that Arnette was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a controlled substance following the incident at the Park MGM hotel.
The Chiefs "immediately released" the defensive back after receiving word of his arrest, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
Chris Maathuis @sports8The charges ‘former’ Raider and 1st round pick Damon Arnette is facing following arrest last night in Vegas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Raiders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Raiders</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/8NN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#8NN</a> <a href="https://t.co/z5qxcN2GwT">pic.twitter.com/z5qxcN2GwT</a>
Arnette signed a reserve/futures contract with Kansas City on Jan. 20.
The 25-year-old Ohio State product was a first-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2020 draft. He made 13 appearances for the organization before getting released in November after a video was posted showing him making death threats while holding a gun.
He's also facing multiple lawsuits, including one related to a similar altercation with a parking valet at the Aria Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com.
A witness to Friday's alleged assault told TMZ that Arnette tried to retrieve his vehicle from the valet lot without a ticket. When approached by the attendant, he pulled out a gun and police were called.
When Arnette was released by the Raiders, then-Las Vegas general manager Mike Mayock said there was "significant concern" about the cornerback's character before the draft but they hoped to help him in that regard.
"At the time, we thought it was an acceptable risk ... after doing more homework on Arnette than anybody we've done in the years I've been here. And obviously, we missed, and that is 100 percent on me," Mayock told reporters.
Arnette joined the Miami Dolphins' practice squad in December. That contract ran out with the conclusion of the regular season, but he signed a futures deal with the organization that would've kept him with the Chiefs heading into the offseason.
The Chiefs are scheduled to face the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.