An arrest warrant was issued for former Oklahoma Sooners’ and current Cincinnati Bengals’ running back Joe Mixon this week, but the charges have been dismissed.
Mixon reportedly faced one misdemeanor count of aggravated menacing for allegedly pointing a firearm at a woman in a road rage incident in downtown Cincinnati.
Mixon allegedly threatened the woman, telling her, “You should be popped in the face. I should shoot you now. The police (can’t) get me,” according to a warrant obtained by WKBN.
The Bengals issued a statement on the matter at the time:
“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.”
Before the charges were dropped, Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, provided a statement to NFL Media on Thursday indicating the dismissal of the charges was imminent.
“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,” said Schaffer’s statement.
The charges were dismissed Friday at the request of Cincinnati’s prosecutor’s office.
“The City makes this request in the interest of justice,” said a court order signed by Hamilton County Municipal Court Presiding Judge Curt Kissinger.
Kissinger previously said he was only waiting for the alleged victim in the case to be notified before dropping the charges, according to News Radio 700 WLW in Cincinnati.
The incident allegedly happened on Saturday, January 21, just one day before Mixon’s Bengals faced off against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Mixon rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries as the Bengals defeated the Bills 27-10 to advance to the AFC Championship Game. Mixon also hauled in two catches for 18 yards.
The 2022-23 season was the 26-year-old Mixon’s sixth in the NFL. He finished the regular season with 814 rushing yards and seven touchdowns while adding 60 catches for 441 yards and two touchdowns.
In college, Mixon was a star at Oklahoma, rushing for 2,2027 yards on 300 carries (6.8 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns in his college career. He was not just electric when he was handed the ball but a dual threat as an exceptional pass catcher.
Mixon ranks third in Oklahoma history in career receiving yards by a running back (894) and fourth in career receptions (65) by a running back. He averaged 13.8 yards per catch and caught nine touchdown passes.
He accomplished stellar numbers in two years of college football, losing one year of eligibility due to a suspension from the football team.
In 2014, when he was an 18-year-old student at the University of Oklahoma, Mixon was captured on surveillance video punching a female student in the face, sending her to the hospital.
He entered an Alford plea, meaning he does not admit guilt but acknowledges sufficient evidence for a conviction.
In addition to being suspended from the football team for a year, Mixon was handed one year of probation, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, and undergo counseling.
The running back was considered a first-round talent if not for character concerns. Mixon was not invited to the NFL Combine because of the incident and slid to No.48 overall, where the Bengals selected him in the 2017 NFL Draft.
