Former Buckeye Damon Arnette indicted on assault, weapons charges
LAS VEGAS (WCMH) – Former Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette will, in fact, face a judge on assault and weapons charges, which were originally dropped 10 months ago.
In July of 2022, Clark County prosecutors in Las Vegas, Nevada declined to file charges against Arnette for allegedly pointing a gun at a Park MGM valet employee on the city’s Las Vegas Boulevard strip. The alleged incident occurred in January 2022, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said charges were dropped because Las Vegas police lacked evidence in the case, specifically on how authorities obtained a gun that Arnette possessed in the alleged incident.
According to a police report, Arnette became upset when a valet employee did not give Arnette the keys when he could not produce identification. The valet walked away before reportedly hearing Arnette cock a gun and pointing it in the direction of the employee while demanding his keys.
Surveillance video shows Arnette pulling a gun from his waistband, placing it into the driver’s side door, then taking it out of the car and was seen “racking a round”.
Police say Arnette drove away and was stopped at a nearby gas station. A gun was found in the driver’s side door when officers opened the door to check for additional passengers.
On May 11, a grand jury indicted Arnette for assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed firearm without a permit. He is scheduled for a hearing on May 24.
The 2020 first-round draft pick of the Las Vegas Raiders started three of four years at Ohio State, from 2016-2019. He was released by the Raiders in the middle of the 2021 season in response to a social media post with Arnette brandishing a gun and threatening to kill someone. The Kansas City Chiefs signed him on Jan. 20, 2022, and released him two days later after the incident in Las Vegas.
CBSsports.com also reported that Arnette was facing multiple lawsuits and was accused of assault and a hit-and-run.