Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach arrested on domestic battery charge
Dave Merritt, the defensive backs coach with the Kansas City Chiefs, has been charged with misdemeanor domestic battery, according to court documents.
Shortly after 9:30 a.m. Thursday, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office filed a complaint against David Lee Merritt Sr., 54, of Stillwell, accusing him of “unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly” causing bodily harm to a daughter, which constitutes a domestic violence offense, according to court documents.
Merritt is scheduled to make his first appearance at 2 p.m. in Johnson County District Court.
An Overland Park police officer arrested Merritt, 54, at about 8:50 p.m. Wednesday and he was booked into the Johnson County jail about 10:25 p.m. No bond has been set.
Details of his arrest were not immediately available, said Officer John Lacy, a spokesman with the Overland Park Police Department.
The Chiefs said they were aware of the arrest and have no comment, according to a team spokesman. The arrest came on the eve of the 2026 NFL Draft.
According to the Chiefs’ website, Merritt has spent seven seasons as the defensive backs coach for the Chiefs, and 29 seasons in the NFL, including a four-year playing career as a linebacker.
The Star’s Blair Kerkhoff provided information for this story.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 11:23 AM.
