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Cincinnati city officials Friday morning asked a Hamilton County municipal judge to dismiss a warrant for Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon, which had alleged he threatened a woman with a gun during a road rage incident Jan. 21.
Judge Curt Kissinger told The Enquirer he didn’t immediately sign off on the request because police officers had not told the woman who made the accusations, a requirement under state law.
Kissinger was assigned the case and said prosecutors this morning presented an entry that would dismiss the charge. He expects that will still happen Friday.
The Enquirer reports the police issued a warrant on a charge of aggravated menacing for Mixon on Thursday.
Mixon was accused of pointing a gun at a woman and saying, “you should be popped in the face and I should shoot you.” But there were few other details about what happened in court documents.
Football teams care about victories — not victims
Despite his on-field talents, there were many who didn’t want him in the NFL to begin with. Mixon left Oklahoma with several notable off-field issues, including the assault of a woman in 2014 and the intimidation of a parking attendant in 2016, both of which led to suspensions while he was with the Sooners.
Mixon, 26, just finished his sixth season with the Bengals and is a two-time team captain. Cincinnati gave Mixon a four-year contract extension worth $48 million in September of 2020. His contract runs through the 2024 season with the Bengals. He’s coming off of a down year after being named to the Pro Bowl in 2021. He rushed for 814 yards and seven touchdowns in the 2022 season.
Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, issued a statement Thursday night saying, “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.”
Joe Mixon has a timeline of terror that can’t be ignored
Coming out of high school, Joe Mixon was the star of Oklahoma’s 2014 recruiting class. 247Sports’ Composite Rankings listed the Oakley, CA product as the No. 19 national prospect and the No. 1 all-purpose running back in the nation.
The summer before Mixon arrived on campus, Mixon was charged with misdemeanor assault after he was accused of punching a woman, OU student Amelia Molitor, during an argument on July 25. Molitor was knocked unconscious and fractured four bones in her face. She needed reconsructive surgery as a result of the incident. Mixon was arraigned on the charges at the time.
According to ESPN, Mixon told police that one of Molitor’s friends used a racial slur — Mixon admitted he responded back with an anti-gay slur. Molitor told police that she and her friend, who is gay, were being harassed by Mixon and other Oklahoma teammates. She told police that she and her friend went into a sandwich shop to try and avoid Mixon.
In November 2016, he was issued a parking citation and responded by tearing it up in the face of the parking attendant, according to OU Daily.
Oklahoma’s News 4 reported that after Mixon was issued the ticket, he got in his vehicle and drove up at the officer as he attempted to intimidate the officer with his car.
For the incident, Mixon was suspended for Oklahoma’s Nov. 3, 2016, matchup against Iowa State. In the announcement of the suspension by the team, Mixon apologized for the altercation.
Regarding Mixon’s latest legal battle, the Cincinnati Bengals said in a statement: “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.”