Cincinnati police announced on Friday that Bengals running back Joe Mixon is being recharged with aggravated menacing, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Charges were initially filed against Mixon on Feb. 2, but dismissed the next day so that police could investigate the incident further.
Regarding the new misdemeanor charge, for which Mixon will be required to appear in court on April 19, Cincinnati police said in a statement, “This decision was reached following the discovery of new evidence during the investigative process. To preserve a fair and impartial judicial process for all parties involved, no investigatory details or evidence will be disclosed outside of official court proceedings.”
The city of Cincinnati dismissed the initial charge against Mixon after the Bengals running back had faced an arrest warrant for allegedly pointing a firearm at a woman. The judge in the case had only granted the request for dismissal after the Cincinnati Police Department was able to contact the woman. At the time, local authorities maintained that there was a possibility of the charge being refiled.
“We are requesting dismissal because we need additional investigation before we move forward with this case,” the prosecution said in February, via WLWT. “The Cincinnati Police Department were able to get in contact with the victim. She understands the need to dismiss this case and the potential that we could refile this at a later date. She does still want to go forward with this charge if we do decide to refile it.”
According to court documents obtained by WCPO 9 News, Mixon was charged with aggravated menacing after allegedly pointing a firearm at a woman on Jan. 21 — the day before the Bengals defeated the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs.
According to the affidavit, Mixon stated, “You should be popped in the face. I should shoot you, the police [can’t] get me.”
In a February statement provided to CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson, the Bengals said, “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.”
Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, released a statement on the matter to NFL Media prior to the charges being dropped.
“It was a rush to judgment. They’re dropping the charges first thing in the morning. I really feel that police have an obligation before they file charges — because of the damage that can be done to the person’s reputation — to do their work. They should be held to a higher standard. Because I don’t play with people’s lives.”
Back in 2014 during his time at Oklahoma, Mixon punched a female student in the face and sent her to the hospital. Mixon would later accept a plea deal that included one year of probation, counseling and 100 hours of community service. He was not invited to the NFL combine because of the incident.
Mixon recently wrapped up his sixth season with the Bengals, who were ousted from the postseason by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, losing by a score of 23-20. He rushed 210 times for 814 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022, and also caught 60 passes for 441 yards and two more scores. Mixon signed a four-year extension ahead of the 2020 NFL season, and made his first Pro Bowl the following year after racking up a career high 1,519 yards from scrimmage and 16 total touchdowns.
Mixon was selected by the Bengals with the No. 48 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. The running back was considered to be a first-round talent, although he fell in the draft due to character concerns. In recent weeks, Bengals officials have seemingly let on that Mixon could be traded or released as a salary-cap casualty at some point this offseason.
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Author: Jordan Dajani
April 7, 2023 | 12:23 pm
