Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is under investigation for assault following an incident at a Dallas nightclub: reports

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is under investigation by the Dallas Police Department for allegedly punching a photographer at a Dallas nightclub Monday morning, according to a report from WFAA-TV.

According to the report, police interviewed witnesses about the alleged incident, which occurred around 2 a.m. Monday at the Lit Kitchen and Lounge in downtown Dallas. Two police officers arrived at the nightclub around 3:33 a.m. to respond to a “major disturbance call,” the police incident report said.

The injured 29-year-old man was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, a police spokesman said The athlete. As of Friday evening, police had not filed a report and no one had been arrested.

At about 1:30 a.m. Monday, the victim told police he was at the nightclub for an after-hours party and believed Rice wanted to hire him to photograph the event. At about 1:56 a.m., the victim, who had left the nightclub, told police that Rice sent him an Instagram message asking him to return, according to the incident report. When the victim found Rice at the nightclub, he told police that Rice punched him on the left side of his face while he was looking at Instagram messages on Rice’s smartphone. While the rest of the report is redacted, the victim appeared to have mild swelling in his left jaw.

The Chiefs declined to comment on the situation Tuesday. Rice’s lawyer, Texas state Sen. Royce West, declined to comment Friday.

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What’s next for Rashee Rice: investigation, charges and possible suspension

The Chiefs selected Rice in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and moved up nine spots in a trade with the Detroit Lions to acquire him.

According to league sources, several teams removed Rice from their draft boards after learning of an alleged incident involving him while attending SMU. In the alleged incident, several bullets were fired into an empty car owned by former SMU basketball player Kendric Davis during a school home game, according to the league. According to league sources, two teams gathered information that led them to the conclusion that Rice believed Davis was dating his girlfriend. The incident was never reported to SMU authorities.

Three teams said, according to league sources The athlete They left Rice off their draft board because of concerns about his character. Another team had Rice on its board, but that team’s evaluation of him included several notes that discounted his value compared to other receiver prospects.

According to a league source, the Chiefs were aware of the alleged incident.

Less than a week after turning himself in to police in Texas, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice returned to work.

Rice accompanied his teammates to the start of the Chiefs’ voluntary offseason program on Monday.@ByNateTaylor has more ⤵️https://t.co/RWewyqvTJM pic.twitter.com/BuZubsXjYp

– The Athlete (@TheAthletic) April 15, 2024

According to police, Rice was involved in a multi-vehicle accident in Northeast Dallas in late March. He was the driver of a Lamborghini sport-utility vehicle that caused the accident, which led to a chain reaction involving four other vehicles, police said. According to police, Rice and SMU cornerback Theodore Knox fled the scene.

Rice, 24, is charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision causing serious bodily injury and six counts of collision causing injury. West confirmed that Rice turned himself in to the Glenn Heights Police Department in Texas. Records showed Rice was housed at the DeSoto Regional Jail. He was released on $40,000 bail.

Even if Rice is not convicted or agrees to a plea deal, he will likely be suspended by the NFL for several games next season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Through the collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association, the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell have broad disciplinary powers. The league’s policies state that NFL players and employees are “held to higher standards and must behave responsibly, promote the values ​​of the NFL and be lawful.”

Regarding the Rice incidents, the policy defines a violation as “conduct that poses a real threat to the safety and well-being of another person.”

Rice and Knox, the driver of the Corvette involved in the collision, are being sued for $1 million by two crash victims. According to the lawsuit filed in Dallas County, Texas, Irina Gromova and Edvard Petrovskiy, who were involved in the accident in separate vehicles, suffered serious injuries. The injuries include “brain injuries, cuts to the face requiring stitches, multiple bruises to the body, disfigurement, internal bleeding, and other internal and external injuries that may not be fully revealed until medical treatment.”

In an Instagram Story posted on April 3, Rice said he took “full responsibility” for his part in the crash.

“Today I met with Dallas Police investigators regarding Saturday’s accident. I take full responsibility for my part in this matter and will continue to cooperate with the necessary authorities,” he said. “I sincerely apologize to everyone affected by Saturday’s accident.”

Less than a week after turning himself in to police, Rice returned to work. He accompanied his teammates to the start of the Chiefs’ voluntary offseason program last month. He attended meetings led by trainers via video conference.

“Of course I am very disappointed with the situation with Rashee and how it has developed,” Chiefs club owner Clark Hunt said two weeks ago. “It is an ongoing legal case so I cannot comment further. He’s still a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, and I think (coach) Andy (Reid) mentioned we’ll just evaluate that as we move forward.”

Rice grew up in North Richland Hills, a suburb of Fort Worth, and played college football at SMU.

As a rookie last season, Rice became the Chiefs’ top receiver, recording 79 receptions and 938 yards in 16 regular-season games. He had 262 yards and 26 receptions in four playoff games en route to the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory.

(Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)