Photographer asks Dallas police not to pursue assault charges against Chiefs’ Rashee Rice
A photographer who said he was punched in the face by Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice at a Dallas nightclub earlier this month reportedly has asked police not to pursue assault charges.
That’s according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who provided the update Tuesday morning on “The Insiders” show.
“Rashee Rice has other issues obviously that he is facing with the Kansas City Chiefs. He had the car crash in which he faces eight ... charges for his role there,” Pelissero said. “There was also a recent accusation by a photographer about him assaulting the photographer on his way out of a club. I actually can tell you, the photographer ... gave an affidavit to the Dallas Police Department saying it was a misunderstanding, wants the charges dropped.
“You still have the things related to the auto incident that is going to have to play out here for Rashee Rice and then on top of that NFL discipline, but at least for now ... he’s back with the Chiefs.”
Police spokeswoman Kristin Lowman told the Dallas Morning News “the ’reporting party’ signed an affidavit of non-prosecution, a sworn statement meaning they won’t participate in criminal proceedings.”
Charges have not been filed against the Rice, but Lowman told the Morning News the “investigation is ongoing.”
Like ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pelissero noted Rice is with the Chiefs for Phase Three of their offseason workouts. Rice also shared a social media post on Sunday that showed he was in Kansas City.
Rice initially was being investigated for an incident with the photographer at 609 N. Harwood Street in Dallas, which is the location of Lit Kitchen nightclub.
The Dallas Morning News, citing an incident report it obtained through an open records request, said the photographer told police he had left a party but then was told to come back when the “suspect” messaged him on Instagram. The photographer, according to the incident report the Morning News acquired, told police he found the suspect and was asked to read Instagram messages on the suspect’s phone; when the photographer did that, he said the suspect punched him on the left side of his face.
According to the Morning News, Dallas police officials identified Rice as the “suspect” in the report.
The Morning News reported that a man was taken to the hospital in relation to the incident with non-life-threatening injuries. Police told the Morning News the man had “visible swelling on one side of his face.”
Rice still faces eight charges related to the multi-vehicle accident on a Dallas highway in March. Police say it was started when Rice was racing in a car that had reached a top speed of 119 mph.
This story was originally published May 21, 2024 at 8:53 AM.
